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iaflMini.A9. 


MODERN  RIDING 


AND 


HORSE    EDUCATION 


BY 


MAJOR  NOEL  BIRCH 

ROYAL  HORSE   ARTILLERY  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN 


Nkw  York 

WILUAM  R.  JENKINS  CO. 

PUBIvISHERS 

851-853  Sixth  Avenue 

(Cor.  48th  street) 


COPTRIGHT,  1912,  BY  WlLOAM   R.  JENKINS  CO. 

^n  Rights  Reserved 


Printed  by  thk 
Press  of  William  R.  Jenkins  Co. 

NEW   YOUK 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS. 

PAGE 

Introduction    i 

By  Major  General  Sir  A.  N.  Rochfort,  K.  C  B.,  C.  M.  G. 

Preface    5 

PART     I— ON     TEACHING    RIDING. 
Section. 

I.     On    the    Necessity    for    Applying     S:ientific 

Principles  to  the  Teaching  of  Riding  and 

THE  Training  of  Horses 13 

II.     Seats    27 

III.     Balance    47 

IV.     Knee  and  Thigh   Grip 59 

V.     Getting   Down    in    the    Saddle 69 

VI.     The  One  Aid  and  the  Indications 75 

VII.     Distribution  of  the  Rider's   Weight 81 

VIII.     The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands 89 

IX.     The  Use  of  the  Lower  Part  of  the  Leg 107 

X.     The  Voice  and  the  Whip 113 

XI.     Spurs     - 119 

XII.     Riding  Schools  v.  the  Open 125 


Index  of  Subjects 

Section  page 

XIII.  Saddle  with  Stirrups  v.  Numnah 131 

XIV.  Reins  V.  No  Reins 143 

XV.     An    Improvt.d   Method 151 

Preliminary    Exercises 152 

The    Strap    152 

Jumping    156 

Hints   to  Instructors 167 

XVI.     Instrumental    Exercises    177 

PART    II.— ON    TRAINING    HORSES. 

XVII.     What  to  Teach 193 

XVIII.     The  Horse's   Mind 205 

XIX.     Appliances  for  Horse  Training 219 

XX.     Early    Days    245 

XXI.     Further   Training    253 

XXII.    Jumping     271 

XXIII.     Refusers     285 

Index        293 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Plate 

I.     The  "Cabriole"   Frontispiece 

FACING   PAGE 

II.     The  Flat   Racing   Seat 40 

III.  Circling  at  a  Canter 49 

IV.  Good  Balance  Rising :  Pace,  a  Canter 

V.     Good   Balance  at  the  Top  of  the  Jump:    Pace, 

a   Canter   I  SO 

AND 

VI.     Good  Balance  at  the  Top  of  the  Jump:  Pace,  ai  rj 

Gallop  

VII.     Balance  Lost:  Pace,  a  Canter. 

VIII.     Good  Balance  Landing  at  a  Slow  Pace 52 

IX.     Leaning  Forward  on  Landing  at  Racing  Pace....  53 

X.     A  Professional  Show-Jumping  Seat 54 

XI.     The  Rocking-Horse  for  Instructional  Exercises..  64 

XII.     The  Rocking-Horse   for  Instructional  Exercises: 

Another  View    65 

XIII.  Opening   the    Shoulders '96 

XIV.  Method  of  Holding  the  Reins:    In  One  Hand 102 

XV.     Method  of  Holding  the  Reins :   With  Both  Hands  103 


List  of  Illustrations. 

Plate                                                                             Facing  page 
X\'I.     The    Position   of   the    Beginner's   Leg   When    He 

Tires I35 

XVII.     A   Question   of   "Hands" i43 

XVIII.     Giving   Extra    Head-Room   by   taking   the    Right 

Hand    off   the    Reins 165 

XIX.     American      Overdraw      Check-Rein       (increased 

Shoulder-Action)     198 

XX.     EngHsh    Bearing-Rein    (increased    Knee-Action)  •  •   199 

XXI.     The    "  Courbette "    230 

XXII.     The    "Croupade"     231 

XXIII.  A  Jumping  Lane 249 

XXIV.  Training   a    High    Jumper 278 

XXV.     Interference  With  the  Mouth  on  Landing 286 

Fig.  page 

I.     Contrivance  for  Curing  Rider's  Strain 66 

2      Holding  on  by  the  Leaping  Pad 137 

3.  The    Stirrups    tied    Together 153 

4.  The    Strap    157 

5.  The  Beginner's  Arms  Correctly  Placed  for  Riding  at  a 

Fence     161 

6.  The  Beginner's  Arms  Correctly   Placed  when  Landing     162 

7.  The  Beginner  Holding  his  Reins  too  Short 164 

8.  Result  of  Holding  the  Reins  too  Short 165 


INTRODUCTION 

By  MAJOR-GEN.  SIR  A.  N.  ROCHFORT,  K.C.B.,  C.M.G. 

Late  Inspector  Royal   Horse  and  Royal   Field   Artillery,  Great 
Britain. 

-'nr^HE  scientific  treatment  of  the  art  of  teaching 
riding  is  no  novelty,  as  the  works  in  many 
languages  which  have  been  consulted  by  Major 
Birch  bear  ample  testimony,  but  the  variety  of  views 
expressed  therein  by  the  authors  is  confusing,  and  it 
is  apparent  that  the  methods  which  have  from  time 
to  time  been  adopted  and  then  abandoned,  only  to 
be  rediscovered  as  something  new,  partake  rather  of 
the  nature  of  haphazard  expedients  than  of  princi- 
ples established  on  a  well-thought-out  foundation. 
That  a  similar  divergence  of  views  and  prac- 
tice now  exists  amongst  authorities  on  the  subject 
is  equally  true. 

Under  these  circumstances  I  venture  to  think 
that  the  present  work  will  be  found  most  valu- 
able;   the    author    has    by    exhaustive    research 


2  Introduction 

rescued  from  books  no  longer  generally  available 
much  that  is  good,  while  his  reasons  for  not 
agreeing  with  some  of  the  views  expressed  by 
these  writers  are  convincing;  and,  last  but  not 
least,  he  has  shown  clearly  in  Sections  XV  and 
XVI  what  the  aim  of  the  instructor  in  riding 
should  be,  and  the  best  means  to  that  end. 

There  is,  I  think,  no  portion  of  the  book  more 
interesting  than  Section  II,  where  he  deals  with 
the  evolution  of  the  present-day  seat  on  a  horse, 
and  shows  how  the  pendulum,  after  oscillating 
between  the  extreme  of  the  "  Haute  Ecole,"  or 
straight-legged  seat,  and  its  opposite  as  practised 
by  Tod  Sloan  and  his  imitators,  both  of  which  are 
unsuited  to  general  purposes,  has  finally  come  to 
rest  at  the  hunting  seat.  We  ought  therefore  to 
hear  no  more  of  the  military  seat  as  such ;  —  there 
never  have  been  any  good  reasons  for  such  a 
distinction,  and  it  would  be  particularly  un- 
desirable at  present,  when  the  military  net  is 
spread  to  catch  many  that  can  never  be  trained 
under  purely  military  auspices. 

During  the  time  I  held  the  appointment  of  In- 
spector of  Royal  Horse  and  Field  Artillery,  I  had 


Introduction  3 

exceptional  opportunities  of  observing  the  results 
of  the  instructional  methods  initiated  by  Major 
Birch  and  carried  out  under  his  direction;  and  al- 
though it  is  not  contended  that  his  method  offers 
the  only  means  of  teaching  a  man  to  ride,  the 
system  is  certainly  a  very  efficient  one. 

At  a  time  when  science,  by  adapting  the  means  of 
mechanical  locomotion  to  road  transport,  has  al- 
ready done  so  much  to  emancipate  horses  from  some 
of  the  drudgery  of  which  they  have  hitherto  been 
the  victims,  it  is  opportune  to  further  enlist  its  aid 
in  training  them  for  the  higher  functions  for  which 
in  the  future  they  will  be  more  generally  used.  The 
art  of  horse-training  in  this  country  has  been  too 
long  neglected,  as  a  result  of  which  the  waste  in 
prematurely  broken-down  and  vicious  animals  is 
probably  greater  than  is  generally  realized. 

Natural  aptitude  and  the  sporting  instincts  heredi- 
tary in  our  race  have  done  much  to  minimize  the 
necessity  of  scientifically  training  the  man,  but  it  is 
not  so  with  the  horse;  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  Part 
II  of  this  work  will  therefore  appeal  the  more 
forcibly  to  that  large  section  of  the  public  which  is 
interested  in  the  production  and  training  of  young 


4  Introduction 

horses,  and  that  those  who  peruse  its  pages  will  con- 
clude that  there  is  no  short  cut  to  horse-training,  but 
that,  on  the  contrary,  the  intellectual  and  physical 
training  of  the  horse  must  commence  when  young 
and  be  progressive. 


PREFACE 

T    introduce  this  volume  to  the  American  public 
-*■  with  some  diffidence.     The  most  successful 

jockeys  of  recent  years  on  the  English  turf  have 
come  from  America;  only  two  years  ago  (1909) 
America  beat  England  handsomely  at  polo,  and 
this  year  (1911)  she  has  repeated  the  victory  after 
a  hard-fought  struggle.  My  justification  must  be 
that  quite  lately  there  has  been  a  renewal  of  interest 
in  the  subject  of  equitation  amongst  the  two  great 
branches  of  the  English-speaking  race,  which  is  no 
doubt  largely  due  to  the  International  Horse  Shows 
which  have  been  held  everywhere  during  the  last 
four  or  five  years.  These  have  brought  home  to  us 
that  Continental  riders  are  not  only  as  much  at  home 
in  the  saddle  as  ourselves,  but  that  in  the  matter  of 
bringing  the  training  of  man  and  horse  to  a  high 
pitch  of  perfection  for  specific  objects  we  have  a 
good  deal  to  learn  from  them,  and  this  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  as  yet  no  foreign  nation  could 
hope  to  put  up  a  team  of  polo  players  to 
defeat  the  American  winners  of  1909,  or  any 
four    men    to    beat    an    equal    number    of    Eng- 

5 


6  Preface 

land's  hardest  riders  across  the  Leicestershire  pas- 
tures. 

In  an  article  on  "  The  New  Army  School  of 
Horsemanship  "  (Scribner's  Magazine,  July,  1909), 
by  Major  T.  Bentley  Mott,  U.  S.  A.,  the  following 
passages  occur : — "  The  fact  is,  the  United  States 
have  long  ceased  to  be  a  nation  of  horsemen  whose 
boys  learn  to  ride  as  a  matter  of  course,  just  as  they 
learn  to  walk ;  and  yet,  with  considerable  blindness, 
the  public  and  the  press  have  continued  to  assume 
that  for  military  purposes  all  Americans  are  born 

with  a  knowledge  of  horsemanship On 

the  other  hand,  England  has  never  had  a  school 
of  horsemanship  such  as  Saumur,  Hanover,  or 
Pinerolo. 

"  England  and  Ireland  still  remain  par  excellence 
the  land  of  horses  and  horsemen,  and  the  number 
of  men  who  ride  and  handle  horses  constitute  in 
those  countries  a  fair  proportion  of  the  population, 
and  the  mounted  services  are  recruited  in  officers 
and  men  considerably  from  people  who  have  always 

ridden Nevertheless,    the    British    are 

now  awakening  to  the  fact  that  in  the  matter  of 
army  horsemanship — certainly  in  its  refinements — 


Preface  7 

they  are  being  left  behind  by  nations  far  less  favored 
in  the  way  of  raw  material." 

This  book,  which  I  trust  will  also  interest  the  ac- 
complished horseman,  is  especially  addressed  to  the 
pupil,  whether  boy  or  man,  and  to  his  instructors, 
and  may  possibly  prove  useful  to  the  lady  who 
wishes  to  adopt  the  cross-legged  seat.  Though 
many  of  the  illustrations  show  men  in  uniform,  I 
must  impress  upon  the  reader  that  this  is  no  military 
text-book ;  soldier  and  civilian  now  sit  and  ride  alike 
in  England,  and  there  is  every  reason  why  they 
should,  as  I  trust  the  following  pages  will  show.  I 
feel  it  necessary  to  emphasize  this  point,  as  there  ap- 
pears to  have  been  much  comment  at  the  New  York 
National  Horse  Show  of  1909  on  the  different 
styles  of  riding  of  the  American  and  English 
officers ;  the  former  being  said  to  have  the  military 
and  the  latter  the  hunting  seat. 

In  the  year  1905  I  was  appointed  to  command  the 
Riding  Establishment  at  Woolwich,  and  found  my- 
self responsible  for  the  training  of  instructors  in 
equitation  for  the  Royal  Regiment  of  Artillery  and 
of  the  Cadets  at  the  Royal  Military  Academy,  who 
pass  into  the  Artillery  and  Engineers. 


8  Preface 

Few  men  can  have  had  the  exceptional  oppor- 
tunities I  enjoyed  of  putting  every  known  method, 
Enghsh  and  foreign,  of  teaching  riding  and  training 
horses  to  a  practical  test ;  there  were  rarely  less  than 
two  hundred  budding  horsemen  under  instruction 
at  a  time,  who  were  replaced  as  they  became  efficient, 
and  at  least  sixty  young  horses  passed  through  the 
Establishment  yearly. 

Since  leaving  Woolwich  I  have  visited  all  the 
principal  Cavalry  Schools  of  Germany,  Austria- 
Hungary,  Italy,  France,  and  Belgium,  and  have 
seen  many  fine  riders  and  well  trained  horses. 

There  are  so  very  many  books  on  equitation  that 
it  has  of  course  been  necessary  to  cover  old  ground, 
but  I  believe  that  some  features  of  the  science — for 
science  it  is — have  been  treated  in  a  new  way.  No 
book,  as  far  as  I  am  aware,  recommends  the  system 
of  teaching  riding  advocated  in  these  pages,  which  I, 
and  others  who  have  tried  it,  have  proved  to  ensure 
quickness  and  safety,  with  the  minimum  of  discom- 
fort to  both  horse  and  rider  during  the  process. 

In  Part  II,  devoted  to  horse-training,  I  have  en- 
deavored to  impress  on  the  reader  the  value  of 


Preface  9 

early  handling  and  development  of  the  horse's  mind, 
and  have  gone  fully  into  the  subject  of  permanent 
horse-balance  and  its  extreme  importance,  a  thing 
which  is  not  very  generally  understood. 

I  have  dealt  with  both  riding  and  training  from  a 
more  or  less  historical  point  of  view,  not  only  to 
give  instructors  some  idea  of  bygone  ways  of  riding 
and  of  teaching  equitation  and  to  point  out  why  they 
fell  into  disuse,  but  also  to  prevent  the  possible  rein- 
troduction  of  obsolete  methods  which  time  and  ex- 
perience have  proved  to  be  faulty.  I  have  freely 
quoted  from  equine  literature  where  I  have  thought 
it  to  be  desirable,  but  it  must  not  be  inferred  that 
the  authors  mentioned  are  the  only  ones  I  have 
studied.  As  this  book  is  intended  to  be  little  more 
than  a  handbook,  I  have  not  burdened  it  with  a 
bibliography  of  all  the  works  I  have  consulted. 

Without  the  assistance  of  my  successor,  Major  the 
Hon.  W.  Sclater  Booth,  R.  H.  A.,  and  his  kindness 
in  continuing  experiments  in  the  Riding  Establish- 
ment in  proof  of  various  theories  we  both  wished  to 
advance,  several  parts  of  this  book  could  never  have 
been  written.  To  the  staff  of  the  Riding  Establish- 
ment, who  have  been  every  ready  to  try  new  de- 


10  Preface 

partures,  my  thanks  are  also  due ;  as  also  to  Briga- 
dier General  H.  de  la  P.  Gough,  commanding  3rd 
Cavalry  Brigade,  Ireland,  the  Messrs.  Miller  of  polo 
fame,  Mr.  R.  Donaldson-Hudson,  and  to  Mr.  C.  S. 
Jackson,  M.  A.,  Instructor  of  Mathematics  and 
Mechanics  at  the  Royal  Military  Academy,  Wool- 
wich ;  also  to  Major  G.  H.  A.  White,  R.  H.  A.,  for 
some  of  the  illustrations. 

I  am  much  indebted  to  the  Editors  of  the  Royal 
Artillery  Journal  and  the  Cavalry  Journal  for  their 
very  kind  permission  to  reproduce  a  portion  of  some 
articles  I  published  in  these  periodicals,  and  in  fhe 
case  of  the  former  to  use  some  of  the  plates  which 
illustrated  them.  I  am  also  much  indebted  to  the 
proprietor  of  the  Field  newspaper  for  a  similar 
permission. 

Noel  Birch. 
Naval  and  Military  Club, 
Piccadilly, 

London. 
I2th  June,  1911. 


PART  I 
ON  TEACHING  RIDING 


ON  THE  NECESSITY  FOR  APPLYING  SCIENTIFIC 
PRINCIPLES  TO  THE  TEACHING  OP  RIDING 
AND  THE  TRAINING  OF  HORSES 


ON  THE  NECESSITY  FOR  APPLYING  SCIENTIFIC 
PRINCIPLES  TO  THE  TEACHING  OF  RIDING 
AND  THE  TRAINING   OF  HORSES 

"  The   most  exalted   seat  in    the  world  is   the  saddle    of  a  swift 
horse,  and  the  best  companion  for  all  time  is  a  book." 

Arab  Poetry. 

'T?  NGLAND  has  long  been  behind  other 
European  nations  in  certain  branches  of  the 
equestrian  art,  and  rather  despises  foreigners  for  the 
time  and  trouble  they  bestow  on  riding  instruction 
and  on  the  higher  education  of  the  horse.  General 
von  Bernhardi  says  that  "  Anglo-maniacs  and  fad- 
dists still  seek  to  exercise  an  influence  the  reverse  of 
favorable  in  this  respect."  France  and  Germany, 
to  quote  only  two  countries,  aim  at  making  both 
the  horse's  and  the  man's  training  as  perfect  and 
as  comprehensive  as  possible. 

Riding  for  spectacular  purposes,  whether  in  the 

riding  school  or  the   show-ring,   is  unlikely  ever 

13 


14      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

to  appeal  to  the  average  Englishman  and  American 
who  hunts  and  plays  polo;  and  we  can  take  it  that 
what  in  old  days  was  called  the  "  Great  Saddle,"  and 
now  "  advanced  Haute  Ecole  "  work,  is  of  no  practi- 
cal value,  nor  do  we  meet  such  jumps  as  the 
"  piano,"  and  three  rails  of  progressive  heights,  so 
placed  that  they  must  be  jumped  as  one  obstacle,  out- 
side the  show  ring.  We  learn,  however,  from  the 
foreigner  the  value  of  training  both  man  and  horse 
systematically  for  a  particular  object,  as  against 
our  happy-go-lucky  methods ;  whatever  success  these 
may  meet  with  being  really  in  advance  of  their  de- 
serts. 

The  Messrs.  Miller,  at  Rugby,  train  ponies  as  well 
as,  if  not  better  than,  anybody  else  in  the  world,  and 
in  some  other  individual  cases  excellent  results  are 
obtained;  but  speaking  generally,  the  farmer's  son 
handles  the  colt  with  but  little  idea  of  how  to  set 
about  it,  and  the  dealer's  lad  will  probably  complete 
the  breaking — for  education  it  can  hardly  be  called 
— the  horse  being  then  sold  as  a  finished  hunter  or 
hack.  If  he  is  properly  balanced  and  has  a  good 
mouth  the  purchaser  is  exceptionally  lucky,  and  if 
the  animal  answers  to  the  leg  he  is  luckier  still.    An 


On  Teaching   Riding  15 

Irish  dealer  at  the  Dublin  Horse  Show  once  told  me 
that  he  had  a  wonderful  horse  to  sell  me ;  the  remark 
caused  no  surprise,  but  I  had  the  curiosity  to  ask 
why  the  animal  was  wonderful.  "  Your  honor," 
was  the  reply,  *'  he  can  walk,  trot,  and  gallop,  and 
there  are  very  few  horses  in  the  show  that  can 
do  that."  If  we  take  the  brains  and  time  that  are 
put  into  horse-training  abroad  as  a  guide,  it  is  really 
surprising  that  so  many  horses  at  home  should  be 
able  to  walk,  trot,  and  gallop  in  proper  form. 
Many  so-called  trained  animals  which  are  sold  out  of 
England  or  Ireland  to  go  abroad  are  treated  as  un- 
broken on  their  arrival  unless  over  six  years  old,  and 
are  trained  from  the  beginning. 

As  far  as  the  teaching  of  riding  is  concerned,  our 
boys  are  generally  taught  by  the  family  coachman, 
often  a  poor  horseman  and  with  no  theoretical 
knowledge;  a  typical  case  of  the  blind  leading  the 
blind. 

I  recently  visited  the  French  Cavalry  School  at 
Saumur,  amongst  others,  which  is  the  largest  estab- 
lishment of  its  kind  in  the  world,  not  excepting  Han- 
over, and  witnessed  a  performance  given  in  the 
riding  school  by  the  Ecuyers  (picked  riding  instruc- 


i6      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

tors).  They  rode  in  buckskin  saddles,  having  rolls 
in  front  of  the  flap,  and  a  large  roll  behind  the  seat ; 
the  lower  part  of  the  leg  was  drawn  back,  and  in 
many  cases  the  knee  was  not  touching  the  saddle. 
The  make  of  the  saddle  and  the  grip  below  the  knee 
maintained  the  rider's  seat  when  the  horse  did  vio- 
lent and  extravagant  exercises  such  as  the  "cour- 
bette  "  (rearing)  "  croupade  "  (kicking  out  behind), 
and  the  "cabriole"  (Plate  I)  (jumping  off  the 
ground  and  extending  the  fore  and  hind  legs).  The 
French  claim  that  this  seat  is  necessary  in  order  that 
the  "  aids  "  may  be  applied  delicately,  but  lady  expo- 
nents of  the  Haute  Ecole  perform  the  work  just  as 
well  on  trained  horses,  although  they  cannot  apply 
the  leg  as  a  man  does. 

I  was  not  at  all  struck  with  the  seat,  and  although 
I  was  privileged  to  see  no  jumping,  a  careful  exam- 
ination of  many  photographs  taken  on  the  spot 
proved  that  it  is  abandoned  in  favor  of  our  hunting 
seat  for  more  practical  work,  and  a  very  firm  "  as- 
siette  "  they  seem  to  have  attained. 

This  riding-school  performance  is  frequently 
carried  out  with  the  object  of  demonstrating  to 
embryo  instructors  to  what  a  high  pitch  horse-train- 


On  Teaching   Riding  17 

ing  can  be  carried,  and  of  its  kind  it  is  perfectly  ex- 
cellent. The  horses  are  first  of  all  taught  their  work 
tied  between  two  pillars,  and  without  men  on  their 
backs.  Some  of  the  aids  employed  can  hardly  be 
called  delicate,  even  when  the  education  is  complete ; 
for  example,  to  make  the  horse  kick  up  behind,  the 
riders  gives  him  a  severe  cut  with  the  whip  just 
above  his  hocks.  Doubtless  these  exercises  develop 
useful  muscles  in  the  horse  and  ensure  his  balance 
at  slow  paces,  as  no  unbalanced  horse  could  perform 
them,  but  we  need  not  copy  either  this  training  or 
what  is  considered  the  necessary  seat  for  it;  the 
muscles  of  the  horse  can  be  devolped  by  far  simpler 
means,  and  balancing  is  part  of  the  animal's  ordi- 
nary education.  It  is  only  fair,  however,  to  add  that 
these  same  horses  are  said  to  be  able  to  travel  over 
four  miles  of  stiffish  made-up  country,  the  highest 
practical  test  possible  in  France,  where  natural 
fences  of  any  sort  are  the  exception. 

The  only  Haute  Ecole  exercise  I  have  ever  heard 
of  with  a  specific  object  peculiar  to  itself  is  the  Span- 
ish trot,  which  is  said  to  cure  stumbling;  but  as  Mr. 
Swire  has  recently  told  us  that  horses  possessing  this 
accomplishment  are  apt  to  do  it  unasked  when  wait- 


i8      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

in^  their  turn  at  a  fence  out  hunting  and  to  strike 
other  horses,  its  all-round  value  is  doubtful.  Im- 
agine one's  feelings  at  the  covert  side  if  one's  horse 
did  the  "  courbette  "  spontaneously,  and  the  lan- 
guage of  one's  friends  if  he  began  the  "  croupade  " 
in  a  narrow  gate-way!  I  think  plain  people  and 
ordinary  horsemen  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is 
better  to  have  an  animal  whom  no  power  could  in- 
duce either  to  rear  or  kick,  than  one  trained  to  these 
evil  practices. 

From  a  recent  conversation  with  a  Spanish  and 
a  French  officer  concerning  "  show  jumping,"  I 
learn  that  the  thirst  for  extremely  fancy  obstacles 
is  the  outcome  of  some  years'  training  in  this  par- 
ticular sphere  abroad.  Fresh  jumps  are  invented 
directly  horses  become  clever  at  those  in  use ;  let  us 
hope  that  the  limit  of  the  animal's  powers  will 
shortly  be  reached.  I  was,  however,  informed  by 
the  Commandant  of  Saumur  that  the  progressive 
training  of  horses  and  riders  for  jumping  had  al- 
most entirely  eliminated  accidents. 

What  we  in  England  should  aim  at  now  is  the  ap- 
plication of  scientific  principles  to  the  ordinary 
teaching  of  riding  and  the  training  of  horses,  and 


Applying  Scientific  Principles  19 

in  this  we  can  take  a  lesson  from  abroad  without 
going  into  any  extravagances.  After  the  Interna- 
tional Horse  Show  at  Olympia  (London)  in  1909 
the  following  interesting  comments  appeared  in  a 
French  official  journal,  after  many  encomiums  on 
English  practical  horsemanship: — "They  (English- 
men) fail  in  that  nothing  (ce  rien)  which  may  be  so 
easily  learnt  in  the  school  ....  (and  which)  consists 
in  those  principles  of  equitation  by  which  a  horse 
may  be  taught  to  go  pleasantly  wherever,  whenever, 
and  however  one  wishes,  and  at  whatever  pace  is 
desired."  Let  us  be  satisfied  when  we  have  arrived 
at  this  and  go  no  further;  it  is  not  necessary,  nor 
can  it  be  advantageous,  to  teach  a  horse  for  example 
to  "  canter  false,"  one  of  the  tests  exacted  at  the 
Brussels  International  Horse  Show  of  1910. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  reign  of  James  I  serious 
efforts  appear  to  have  been  made  to  improve  horse 
training  and  riding  in  England.  Lord  Mostyn 
possesses  an  MS.  bearing  date  161 8,  in  which  the 
Lord  President  of  the  Council  of  the  Marches  urges 
the  Deputy-Lieutenants  of  Flint  to  found  a  Riding 
Academy  out  of  the  rates,  w^here  horsemanship,  "  a 
necessary   and   useful   part   of   every   gentleman's 


20      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

breeding,  and  a  thing  of  high  estimation  throughout 
the  most  flourishing  and  best  governed  part  of  the 
world,"  could  be  properly  taught  and  horses  trained. 
It  is  fair  to  assume  that  this  movement  was  not 
confined  to  one  county.  The  Deputy-Lieutenants, 
however,  strongly  objected  on  the  score  of  expense, 
and  history  tells  us  that  it  was  the  custom  at  that 
time,  and  later  on  in  the  same  century,  for  young 
gentlemen  of  England  to  go  to  France  and  there 
perfect  themselves  in  riding. 

In  1 76 1  Henry  Earl  of  Pembroke  published  a 
book  entitled  "  Military  Equitation,  or  a  Method 
of  Breaking  Horses  and  Teaching  Soldiers  to 
Ride";  it  ran  through  four  editions  if  not  more, 
and  on  October  i,  1793,  was  accepted  by  the  Adju- 
tant-General of  the  British  Army  and  issued  as  the 
first  text-book  on  the  subject.  The  work  is  of  ab- 
sorbing interest,  and  contains  many  hits  at  the  equi- 
tation of  that  time,  especially  from  a  military  point 
of  view,  some  of  which  apply  in  a  minor  degree  to 
the  present  day.  On  the  necessity  for  study  his 
lordship  writes  as  follows : 

"  I  must  urge  the  necessity  of  forming  by  read- 
ing, and  serious  study,  as  well  as  by  much  constant 


Applying  Scientific  Principles  21 

practice,  proper  riding-masters  for  the  Army; 
though  I  am  thoroughly  apprized,  as  the  celebrated 
Mr.  Bourgelat  observes,  that  an  ill-founded  pre- 
judice partially  directs  the  judgment  of  the  greater 
part  of  those  people,  who  call  themselves  connois- 
seurs. I  know  full  well  that  they  suppose  that 
practice  alone  can  insure  perfection,  and  that  in  their 
arguments  in  favor  of  this  their  deplorable  system, 
they  reject  with  scorn  all  books,  and  all  authors: 
but  Equitation  is  confessedly  a  science;  every  science 
is  founded  upon  principles,  and  they  must  indispen- 
sably be  necessary,  because  what  is  truly  just  and 
beautiful  cannot  depend  upon  chance.  What  indeed 
is  to  be  expected  from  a  man,  who  has  no  other 
guide  than  a  long-continued  practice,  and  who  must 
of  necessity  labor  under  very  great  uncertainties? 
Incapable  of  accounting  rationally  for  what  he  does, 
it  must  be  impossible  for  him  to  enlighten  me,  or 
communicate  to  me  the  knowledge  which  he  fancies 
himself  possessed  of.  How  then  can  I  look  upon 
such  a  man  as  a  master?  On  the  other  hand,  what 
advantages  may  I  not  obtain  from  the  instructions 
of  a  person  whom  theory  enables  to  comprehend 
and  feel  the  effects  of  his  slightest  operations,  and 


22      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

who  can  explain  to  me  such  principles  as  an  age  of 
constant  practice  only  could  never  put  me  into  a  way 
of  acquiring?  Equitation  does,  to  be  sure,  require 
also  a  constant,  and  an  assiduous  exercise.  Habit, 
and  a  continual  practice  will  go  a  great  way  in  all 
exercises,  which  depend  on  the  mechanics  of  the 
body,  but,  unless  this  mechanism  is  properly  fixed, 
and  supported  on  the  solid  basis  of  theory,  errors 
will  be  the  inevitable  consequence.  The  knowledge 
of  a  horse  is  vulgarly  thought  so  familiar,  and  the 
means  of  dressing  him  so  general  and  so  common, 
that  you  can  hardly  meet  with  a  man  who  does  not 
flatter  himself  that  he  has  succeeded  in  both  points, 
and  while  masters,  who  sacrifice  every  hour  of  their 
life  to  attain  knowledge,  still  find  themselves  im- 
merged  in  darkness  and  obscurity,  men  the  most  un- 
informed imagine  that  they  have  attained  the  sum- 
mit of  perfection,  and  in  consequence  thereof  sup- 
press the  least  inclination  of  learning  even  the  first 
elements,  a  blind,  and  a  boundless  presumption  is  the 
characteristic  of  ignorance ;  the  fruits  of  long  study, 
and  application  amount  to  a  discovery  of  fresh 
difficulties,  at  the  sight  of  which  a  diligent  man, 
very  far  from  over-rating  his  own  merit,  redoubles 
his  efforts  in  pursuit  of  fresh  knowledge." 


Applying  Scientific  Principles  23 

Truer  words  on  the  subject  were  seldom  penned, 
and  all  that  Lord  Pembroke  advises  for  Army  In- 
structors applies  equally  well  to  teachers  and  to 
many  horse-trainers  outside  the  Army.  The  Briton 
and  the  American  have,  as  a  rule,  better  legs  for  the 
saddle  than  any  Continental  European,  and  should 
settle  into  it  more  easily  than  he,  and  therefore  excel 
in  every  branch  of  equitation.  Some  of  the  best 
horses  in  the  world  are  bred  in  the  British  Isles  and 
in  America,  and  the  only  pity  of  it  is  that  so  many 
of  the  former  are  allowed  to  go  abroad,  though  de- 
fenders of  the  practice  no  doubt  rightly  urge  that 
this  is  an  incentive  to  breeding  valuable  stock. 

Lord  Pembroke's  advice,  which  presumably  was 
that  a  scientific  school  of  equitation  should  be  estab- 
lished for  the  Army,  similar  to  those  now  found  in 
Vienna,  Pinerolo,  Hanover,  Ypres,  and  Saumur,  all 
of  which  I  have  seen,  was  not  followed  for  over  a 
hundred  years,  and  history  shows  us  the  result  so 
far  as  the  Army  is  concerned.  In  1802  a  Hanover- 
ian named  Captain  Quist  was  appointed  to  command 
the  Riding  House  at  Woolwich,  with  a  view  to 
teaching  the  Artillery  to  ride.  In  181 5  a  Prussian 
riding  master  was  sent  over  to  instruct  our  Cavalry. 


24      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

and  in  1904  a  deputation  of  English  officers  visited 
Saumur  and  found  plenty  to  learn  there.  Two 
cavalry  officers  were  lately  sent  to  Saumur  in  order 
to  qualify  as  instructors  for  our  Cavalry  School  at 
Netheravon,  which  came  into  existence  after  the 
Boer  War.  Let  us  hope  that  in  201 1  we  shall  be 
in  a  position  to  take  pupils  from  other  nations. 

The  professional  civilian  teacher  of  riding  is  very 
often  a  retired  soldier,  so  those  outside  the  Army 
should  eventually  profit  from  Government  money 
judiciously  spent  at  Netheravon  or  the  Riding  Estab- 
lishment. As  in  James  I's  time,  the  formation  of 
scientific  civilian  schools  in  different  parts  of  the 
country  is  out  of  the  question  at  present  from  a 
financial  point  of  view,  as  there  is  no  demand  for 
them;  but  I  have  great  hopes  that  in  course  of  time 
the  British  riding  public  will  become  alive  to  the  fact 
that  well-made  horses  are  uncommon,  and  that  no 
hunting  man,  breeder,  or  horse  dealer  can  go  any- 
where to  learn  how  to  train  them  and  at  the  same 
time  improve  his  own  riding ;  or  to  have  his  children 
taught  equitation  in  a  thorough  and  practical 
manner. 


n 

SEATS 


II 


SEATS 

"  He  grew  unto  his  seat ; 
And  to  such  wond'rous  dohig  brought  his  horse, 
As  he  had  been  incorps'd  and  demy-natured 
With  the  brave  beast." 

Hamlet,  Act  iv.,  Scene  7. 

T3EF0RE  putting  the  pupil  on  the  horse,  it  will 
be  as  well  to  consider  firstly  what  he  has  to 
be  taught,  and  secondly  the  easiest  way  of  doing  it ; 
when  these  two  problems  have  been  solved  the  work 
can  be  undertaken  with  confidence  and  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  what  to  look  for  and  what  to  avoid  during 
the  process  of  teaching  a  man  to  ride. 

Although  differing  considerably  as  to  the  best 
method  of  instruction,  experts  nearly  all  agree  that 
the  first  three  things  to  go  for  are  balance,  knee  and 
thigh  grip,  and  getting  the  pupil  split  up  and  well 
down  into  his  saddle.  The  use  of  the  hand  and  of 
the  lower  part  of  the  leg  may  well  be  left  until  the 

pupil  has  a  more  or  less  firm  and  balanced  seat. 

27 


28      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Although  balance  and  grip  are  both  component 
parts  of  a  man's  seat  on  horseback,  yet  "  seat  "  it- 
self is  so  distinct  a  subject,  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  various  styles  in  use  in  historical  and  modern 
times,  with  the  reasons  governing  their  adoption, 
as  to  merit  separate  consideration,  and  instructors 
of  riding  should  have  some  knowledge  of  how  the 
evolution  of  the  present-day  seat  on  a  horse  was  ac- 
complished. Many  of  the  well-known  writers  on 
horsemanship  have  alluded  more  or  less  fully  to  the 
subject,  but  in  so  discursive  a  manner  as  not  to 
bring  clearly  before  the  reader  the  gradual  changes 
which  have  taken  place  in  the  accepted  manner  of 
sitting  a  horse,  all  of  which  have  had  their  justifica- 
tion in  the  conditions  obtaining  at  the  time. 

Four  varieties  of  seat  are  mentioned  in  the 
standard  works  on  riding — the  Haute  Ecole  seat, 
with  the  leg  straight ;  the  military  seat,  with  the  leg 
slightly  bent;  the  hunting  seat,  with  the  leg  rather 
higher;  and  what  is  variously  described  by  old 
authors  as  the  Turkish,  Eastern,  or  ancient  Spanish 
seat,  which  now  figures  in  a  more  exaggerated  form 
as  the  American  flat-racing  seat,  with  tlie  thigh 
practically  horizontal.     It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose 


Seats  29 

that  the  bent  knee  came  in  with  the  stirrups :  stirrups 
were  not  invented  until  the  fifth  century,  and  were 
not  common  till  the  twelfth,  yet  history  proves 
clearly  that  the  ancient  Eastern  nations  rode  with 
the  leg  bent.  Bas-reliefs  in  the  Assyrian  section  of 
the  British  Museum  show  the  seats  in  vogue  in  the 
eighth  and  ninth  centuries  b.  c,  and  further  evi- 
dence is  furnished  by  the  Parthenon  frieze,  tempo 
440  B.  c.  In  the  relief  which  represents  horsemen 
flying  before  the  Assyrians,  the  rider's  knee  is  nearl3' 
as  high  as  it  would  be  in  the  present-day  racing  seat. 
Set  a  man  who  has  never  ridden  before  on  to  a 
horse  which  is  standing  still,  and  you  will  find  that 
he  sits  in  practically  the  same  way  as  the  warrior 
in  another  of  the  bas-reliefs,  of  about  750  b.  c.  ; 
which  goes  to  prove  that  this  position,  which  is 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  present-day  hunting 
seat,  is  a  natural  one,  and  that  all  others  are  ac- 
quired. The  early  riders  probably  adopted  it  as  be- 
ing the  most  comfortable  for  both  man  and  horse  on 
long-distance  journeys,  and  when  crossing  rough 
country.  From  an  anatomical  point  of  view  they 
were  correct,  that  is  to  say,  if  the  reader  agrees 
with  me  in  thinking  that  a  man  should  sit  in  his 


30      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

saddle  and  not  ride  on  his  fork.  The  two  "  sitting 
bones  "  in  front,  and  the  sacrum  behind  the  pelvis, 
form  the  triangular  base  of  the  seat,  as  Sidney  so 
graphically  explains,  and  the  angle  of  the  thighs 
depends  on  their  make  and  shape  and  on  the  width 
of  the  pelvis.  The  Eastern  nations  have  persisted 
in  this  seat,  and  I  will  endeavor  to  show  why  Euro- 
peans adopted  the  straight-legged  seat  for  a  period, 
and  why  they  have  now  returned  to  riding  shorter. 

War  has  always  influenced  the  art  of  horseman- 
ship, especially  in  the  West.  It  is,  therefore,  not 
surprising  to  find  the  great  warrior  and  student  of 
equitation  Xenophon,  who  was  born  430  B.  c,  writ- 
ing as  follows  in  his  treatise  on  riding: 

"  Whether  he  uses  a  cloth  ^  or  rides  upon  the  bare 
back  we  should  not  have  him  sit  as  one  who  drives 
a  chariot,  but  as  if  he  were  standing  erect  with  his 
legs  somewhat  astride,  for  thus  his  thighs  will  cling 
closer  to  his  horse,  and  being  upright,  he  will  be 
better  able  to  wield  his  lance  and  shield  with  more 
force." 

This  "  war  seat  "  did  not  become  common  in 
Europe  for  some  time.     A  statue  of  Caligula  on 

1  The  Greeks  used  "  clothes  "  or  housings,  and  not  saddles. 


Seats  31 

horseback,  date  about  37  a.  d.,  which  is  in  the 
British  Museum,  shows  him  riding  with  a  bent  knee, 
and  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  seat  never  entirely- 
superseded  the  old  one  for  road  work  and  the 
chase. 

The  straight-legged  seat  was  undoubtedly  general 
on  the  Continent  in  the  early  Middle  Ages,  when 
knights  wore  heavy  armor  and  rode  in  massive 
high-peaked  and  deeply-curved  saddles  (Tozer), 
which,  indeed,  allowed  of  no  other  posture.  It  has 
been  freely  stated  that  the  straight-legged  seat  was  the 
outcome  of  the  high-peaked  saddle,  which  became 
popular  as  giving  a  good  support  to  the  rider  if  he 
were  struck.  Xenophon's  treatise  proves  the  fallacy 
of  this  theory,  because  he  recommended  the  position 
at  a  time  when  only  a  cloth  was  used  for  a  saddle. 
The  Normans  in  the  Bayeux  tapestry  are  repre- 
sented as  riding  with  a  perfectly  straight  leg,  and 
probably  introduced  the  practice  into  England;  as 
although  some  historians  aver  that  the  Saxons  were 
in  the  habit  of  riding,  they  undoubtedly  fought  on 
foot  at  Hastings,  to  which  fact  King  William  may 
have  owed  his  victory  (Tozer).  The  reason  why 
the  mediaeval  knights  all  used  this  seat  in  battle  and 


32      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

in  the  lists  was  probably  that  not  only  did  it  enable 
them  to  put  more  weight  into  the  thrust,  but  they 
were  less  liable  to  overbalance  backwards  after  the 
collision  than  if  their  knees  had  been  bent  and  used 
as  the  pivot. 

On  the  experience  of  the  knights  in  armor 
(Sidney)  the  "High  School  of  Horsemanship" 
was  founded,  and  carried  to  fantastic  perfection  in 
England  and  on  the  Continent  during  the  period 
when  armor  had  been  reduced  to  a  breast-plate  and 
back-plate.  Exercises  much  resembling  those  of  the 
more  florid  Haute  Ecole  school  were,  however,  com- 
mon amongst  the  Arab  nations  from  the  earliest 
times,  and  may  be  witnessed  to-day  at  w^hat  are 
known  as  Arab  ''  fantasias,"  and  these  were  and  are 
carried  out  with  the  knee  very  much  bent.  It  is  pos- 
sible that,  during  the  long  intercourse  between  the 
Easterns  and  the  knighthood  of  Europe  at  the  time 
of  the  Crusades,  the  Europeans  may  have  adopted 
some  of  the  methods  of  their  antagonists  and  sought 
to  rival  their  feats  of  horsemanship,  though  without 
imitating  their  manner  of  sitting  a  horse. 

The  Cavalier  of  a  later  date  rode  straight-legged 
to  war,  and,  according  to  contemporary  writers, 


Seats  33 

found  it  "  most  elegant  and  graceful "  in  peace. 
Manege  riding  of  a  high  order  formed  one  of  the 
principal  recreations  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  six- 
teenth and  seventeenth  centuries,  who  were  encour- 
aged to  excel  by  the  interest  of  the  fair  sex.  In 
this  they  closely  resembled  the  young  Romans,  who 
were  accustomed  to  ride  before  the  ladies  merely  to 
display  their  equestrian  skill  and  address,  in  the 
hopes  of  thereby  winning  their  favor. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that,  with  the  improve- 
ment in  English  agriculture  and  the  consequent  en- 
closing of  the  country,  a  more  natural  school  of 
riders  arose  amongst  gentlemen  sportsmen  and  yeo- 
men, who  discovered  the  difficulties  of  negotiating 
fences  if  they  rode  with  a  straight  leg,  the  principal 
one  being  that,  unless  the  knee  is  farther  to  the  front 
than  the  body,  the  latter  will  pitch  forward  when  the 
horse  lands.  Not  only  was  the  seat  less  secure  when 
jumping  with  long  stirrups,  but  if  the  horse  pecked 
the  rider  was  liable  to  injury,  as  he  could  not  clear 
the  pommel.  Xenophon's  directions  for  jumping  are 
interesting  in  this  connection.  He  advocates  catch- 
ing hold  of  the  mane  to  avoid  giving  the  horse  a  job 
in  the  mouth,  which  goes  to  prove  that  his  method 


34      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

of  riding  was  unsuitable  for  jumping;  and  New- 
castle remarks :  *'  Nothing  disorders  a  Horse's 
Mouth  more  than  Leaps." 

Until  fox-hunting  became  general,  towards  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century,^  it  was  not  con- 
sidered correct  to  ride  with  a  bent  knee.  Writing 
in  1805,  Adams  says  that  ''  although  gentlemen  may 
give  their  horses  a  breathing  in  this  style  of  riding 
in  the  park,  or  occasionally  over  a  piece  of  common 
by  the  roadside,  yet  it  is  not  becoming  or  genteel 
to  practise  it  much  on  the  road." 

Baucher  {circa  1850),  and  every  other  past  mas- 
ter of  Haute  Ecole — excepting  Fillis,  if  we  are  to 
judge  by  his  illustrations — rode  with  a  compara- 
tively speaking  straight  leg,  and  claimed  that  this 
seat  alone  gave  that  nice  equilibrium,  light  hand,  and 
power  of  leg  so  indispensable  in  working  the  horse 
in  advanced  manege  riding. 

Although  Haute  Ecole  training  never  seems  lo 
have  been  generally  popular  after  hunting  com- 
menced over  enclosed  countries,  and  is  practically 

1  In  •'  Sports  and  Pursuits  of  the  English,"  we  read  that  hounds 
were  never  entered  solely  to  fox  till  1750  ;  but  in  his  "  Encyclopaedia 
of  Rural  Sports,"  Blaine  says  that  the  first  real  steady  pack  of  fox- 
hounds was  established  in  the  Western  part  of  England  about  1730. 


Seats  35 

unknown  In  England  to-day,  up  to  about  1850  the 
majority  of  writers  on  the  subject  of  equitation  were 
agreed  that  the  straight-legged  seat  was  the  best, 
and  the  only  one  to  be  recommended.  These 
authors  were  not  generally  hunting  men ;  the  latter 
gentlemen,  with  few  exceptions,  thought  school  rid- 
ing and  scientific  horse-training  unworthy  of  their 
serious  consideration. 

The  reader  may  well  ask  the  pertinent  ques- 
tion, how  came  this  seat  to  be  the  general  one  in 
America  ?  and  why  does  the  cow-puncher  still  retain 
it  ?  I  will  endeavor  to  supply  answers  to  both  ques- 
tions. Horses  became  extinct  in  America  before  the 
beginning  of  the  historic  period  (von  Zittel)  and 
were  first  reintroduced  by  the  Spaniards  in  1537; 
some  of  these  escaped  and  ran  wild,  and  by  1580 
their  descendants  had  spread  over  the  continent. 

It  seems  only  natural  to  infer  that  with  the  horse 
came  the  seat  of  the  period,  and  it  has  been  retained 
to  this  day  by  the  riders  of  the  plains.  It  is  well 
suited  to  the  horse  and  to  the  work  of  the  cow- 
puncher.  He  has  to  cross  no  fences,  trotting  is  un- 
known to  him,  and  as  he  pivots  on  his  fork  he  can 
bend  and  turn  at  will  to  throw  his  rope.    Excepting 


36      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

for  jumping,  the  balance  of  the  body  must  be  more 
perfect  in  this  position  than  it  is  in  the  hunting  seat, 
as  the  pivot  is  higher. 

The  straight-legged  seat  is  one  to  grow  into  and 
not  to  acquire  after  manhood  is  reached. 

In  Tyndale's  book  on  military  riding  (1797)  the 
soldier  is  shown  astride  his  horse  with  a  perfectly 
straight  leg,  and  the  writer  states  that  the  plate  is 
perfectly  true  to  life ;  but  I  am  led  to  infer  that  this 
position  was  only  retained  in  the  riding  school  and 
in  peace  training  under  the  eye  of  the  Riding  Mas- 
ter. Lord  Pembroke,  in  the  manual  issued  by  the 
War  Office  four  years  before  this  date,  recom- 
mended a  seat  between  the  Haute  Ecole  and  the 
hunting  with  the  idea  of  combining  the  advantages 
of  both,  but  apparently  this  had  not  had  any  appre- 
ciable effect  on  the  soldier's  seat.  This  will  be 
readily  understood  by  those  who  have  been  brought 
up  in  the  Army  and  recognize  the  conservatism  of 
Riding  Instructors.  During  the  Napoleonic  wars, 
when  nearly  every  soldier  became  a  campaigner,  the 
straight-legged  seat,  and  also  Lord  Pembroke's, 
seem  to  have  been  abandoned  for  the  hunting  seat, 
as  we  find  that  in   181 5,  after  the  declaration  of 


iSeats  37 

peace,  a  Prussian  riding  master  was  employed  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Prince  Regent  to  drill  our 
Cavalry  to  ride  with  a  perfectly  straight  leg  again. 
This  must  have  been  carried  to  an  extreme,  as  many 
men  were  ruptured  in  the  process.  Gibbon,  a  mili- 
tary writer  (1825),  tells  us  that  every  man's  thigh 
should  lie  at  an  angle  of  20  degrees  from  the  per- 
pendicular (as  if  we  were  all  built  precisely  alike!), 
and  says  that  any  deviation  from  this  position  ex- 
poses the  rider  to  some  danger  or  other. 

And  now  ensued  a  long  period  during  which  there 
was  little  or  no  change  in  the  soldier's  seat  on  a 
horse  in  peace  time,  although  some  regiments  appear 
to  have  ridden  with  shorter  stirrups  than  others ;  and 
the  outbreak  of  the  South  African  War  in  1899 
found  our  mounted  troops  sitting  on  their  forks,  the 
exception  being  the  Mounted  Infantry,  first  raised 
some  thirty  years  ago,  who  were  taught  their  equita- 
tion by  combatant  officers,  and  rode  with  the  knee 
bent.  Men  who  went  through  the  Riding  Master's 
course  at  the  Cavalry  Depot  at  Canterbury  just  be- 
fore this  war  have  told  me  that  they  were  ordered 
to  have  their  spur-rests  fitted  low  on  a  high  heel  in 
order  to  give  their  leg  an  even  straighter  appear- 


38      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

ance.  It  may  surprise  some  of  my  readers  to  be 
told  that  the  Cavalry  Schools  of  France,  Italy,  and 
Austria  had  already  adopted  the  hunting  seat. 

The  campaign  in  South  Africa  again  proved,  as 
the  Peninsular  War  appeared  to  have  done,  that  the 
straight-legged  seat  was  most  wearing  to  both  man 
and  horse  on  the  march,  and  quite  unsuitable  for 
crossing  obstacles. 

Mobility,  /.  e.,  getting  on  to  the  battle-field,  is 
and  must  be  in  the  future  of  far  more  importance 
than  greater  efficiency  for  possible  shock  action  on 
arrival.  This  latter  advantage  was  not  acknowl- 
edged by  the  Eastern  nations,  who  have  never  been 
heavy  men  on  heavy  horses  and  charged  knee  to 
knee.  Circling  independently  on  the  plain,  they 
claim  that  shortened  stirrups  give  the  striker  a 
longer  reach.  Berenger,  writing  when  the  straight- 
legged  seat  was  most  fashionable  in  Western  Eu- 
rope, said  that  the  Turks  rode  with  their  stirrups 
so  short  that  their  knees  were  almost  as  much  bent 
as  when  sitting  on  their  hams  on  a  sofa,  in  order  to 
"  collect  themselves  better,  and  to  be  able  to  rise  up, 
as  it  were,  when  they  were  going  to  attack  an  enemy, 
and  strike  a  blow." 


Seats  39 

A  further  disadvantage  of  the  straight-legged 
seat,  as  far  as  it  concerned  the  Army,  was  that  it 
demanded  a  higher  standard  of  horsemanship, 
True  balance  on  the  fork  is  difficult  to  attain,  and 
more  often  than  not  it  was  on  his  reins  that  the 
soldier  relied  for  support  in  riding.  The  "  firm 
hand  and  light  seat "  had  long  been  a  by-word  in 
the  service.  Optimists  will  no  doubt  remark  with 
Cesaresco  that  horses  with  insensible  mouths  have 
the  advantage  of  making  it  possible  for  many  people 
to  ride  who  could  not  otherwise  do  so.  The  modern 
English  regulation  seat,  which  is  the  hunting  one, 
should,  however,  put  an  end  to  the  above  state  of 
affairs;  and  the  remark  of  a  famous  master  of 
hounds,  made  but  a  few  years  ago,  that  his  son  rode 
very  well  until  he  entered  the  Army  and  passed 
through  a  cavalry  riding  school,  should  not  hold 
good  nowadays.  The  old-pattern  military  saddle, 
which  is  only  suited  to  the  seat  advocated  by  Xeno- 
phon,  has  unfortunately  been  retained ;  the  big  man 
has  the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  into  it,  and  is 
most  uncomfortable  when  he  gets  there.  Big  and 
small  are  farther  from  the  horse  than  need  be. 

A  good  judge  and  a  close  follower  of  racing  for 


40      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

the  last  thirty  years  or  so  tells  me  that  before  Tod 
Sloan's  appearance  on  the  English  turf  in  1897  the 
flat-racing  seat  had  got  into  a  ridiculous  extreme, 
most  of  the  jockeys  riding  as  if  they  had  pokers 
down  their  backs,  which  had  by  no  means  been  the 
case  in  the  days  of  Tom  Cannon,  Archer,  and  Ford- 
ham,  the  last  named  having  indeed  often  been 
spoken  of  as  looking  like  a  monkey  on  a  horse. 
The  first  exponent  of  the  American  flat-racing  seat 
(Plate  II)  in  England  was  Sims,  who  rode  Eau 
Gallic  in  the  Crawford  Plate  at  Newmarket  in  1895, 
but  it  was  left  to  Tod  Sloan  two  years  later  to  reap 
historic  successes.  He  was  a  marvelous  horseman, 
and  for  a  time  at  least  had  few  rivals  in  the  new  art, 
which  is  eminently  one  either  to  excel  in  or  to  let 
alone.  Good  judges  will  tell  you  that  there  are  only 
half  a  dozen  jockeys  on  the  English  turf  who  are 
first-class  riders  in  the  new  style,  and  that  the  re- 
mainder would  do  very  much  better  to  go  back  to 
the  old  methods,  but  this  they  are  hardly  likely  to  do, 
and  even  steeplechase  jockeys  are  shortening  their 
stirrups,  two  notable  examples  being  Parfrement 
(the  French  jockey),  and  Newry,  both  winners  of 
the  Grand  National  at  Liverpool. 


Seats  41 

According  to  Dodge,  author  of  "  Riders  in  Many 
Lands,"  the  crouching  seat  was  the  old  Red  Indian 
one,  but  I  have  been  told  that  its  value  for  flat-rac- 
ing was  discovered  in  the  following  manner. 

A  racing  man  went  out  West  to  try  and  pick  up 
something  useful  at  "  outside  "  meetings,  where  he 
found  that  horses  were  generally  ridden  by  black 
men,  who  sat  very  much  after  the  manner  of  mon- 
keys at  a  circus,  with  a  firm  hold  of  the  mane,  and 
with  their  thighs  horizontal.  Th^  visitor  bought 
one  of  the  successful  horses,  thinking  that  it  would 
be  a  gold  mine  when  properly  ridden  by  a  white 
jockey,  but  to  his  great  surprise  it  was  always 
beaten,  until  he  bethought  him  of  putting  up  the 
negro  again.  The  return  of  his  purchase  to  its 
proper  form  now  gave  the  owner  food  for  thought, 
and  he  was  intelligent  enough  to  hit  upon  the  true 
reason  for  the  colored  man's  success,  which  was 
soon  emulated  by  most  of  the  white  riders  in  the 
country. 

The  advantage  of  the  American  seat,  briefly,  is 
that  it  allows  of  the  rider's  weight  being  carried  in 
the  right  place  for  speed — i.  e.,  well  over  the 
withers,  which  is  very  much  farther  forward  than 


42      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

is  possible  with  even  the  straight-legged  seat.  This 
gives  the  horse  increased  power  of  propulsion,  and 
the  crouching  attitude  adopted  by  the  rider  reduces 
wind-pressure  to  a  minimum.  I  have  been  told  by 
a  well-known  owner  that,  rogues  go  better  if  ridden 
in  this  manner,  which  would  seem  to  point  to  the 
fact  that  it  is  more  comfortable  for  the  horse  for  a 
short  distance. 

This  is  the  bright  side  of  the  picture,  but  no  one 
can  say  that  the  American  seat  is  an  easy  one;  the 
only  part  of  the  rider's  body  to  touch  the  saddle  is 
his  leg  from  the  knee  downwards,  and  all  his  grip- 
ping must  be  done  with  this  surface  alone.  Balance 
is  rendered  extremely  difficult,  and  the  same  may  be 
said  of  the  use  of  the  lower  part  of  the  leg.  A  few 
jockeys  can  spur  their  horses,  but  the  majority 
merely  punish  the  flaps,  and  it  is  not  uncommon 
after  a  race  to  find  spur-marks  in  front  of  the 
saddle.  It  is  obvious  that  with  no  support  to  either 
the  thighs  or  the  seat,  all  but  the  very  best  riders 
must  depend  largely  on  the  reins  for  maintaining 
their  balance,  and  must  lose  the  greater  part  of  tlicir 
control  over  shifty,  uncertain,  or  awkward  horses. 
It  is  much  harder  to  use  the  whip  when  this  seat 


Seats  43 

is  adopted — in  fact,  jockeys  have  been  known  to 
miss  their  mounts  altogether ;  as  far  as  the  horse  is 
concerned,  his  forelegs  would  tire  and  eventually 
wear  out  if  he  habitually  carried  too  much  weight 
on  them.  It  is  certain  that  the  American  seat  will 
never  be  adopted  for  all-round  riding. 

As  Mr.  Jorrocks  said,  the  seat  a  man  finds  easiest 
to  himself  "  will  in  all  humane  probability  be  the 
easiest  to  his  'oss." 

The  loosely-named  hunting  seat  is  certainly  the 
one  for  all-round  work;  whatever  power  of  pro- 
pulsion the  horse  loses  from  having  to  carry  the 
weight  farther  back  is  amply  compensated  for  by 
the  pain  and  fatigue  he  escapes  when  ridden  over 
fences,  or  with  his  rider  bumping  to  the  trot  along 
a  hard  road  in  the  straight-legged  seat. 

No  fixed  rule  can  be  laid  down  as  to  the  correct 
height  of  a  man's  knee  in  the  hunting  seat;  every- 
thing depends  upon  his  make  and  shape.  The  fat- 
thighed  man  must  naturally  ride  shorter  than  he 
who  is  built  for  the  saddle,  but  if  the  stirrups  are 
too  short,  balance  is  sacrificed;  on  the  other  hand, 
if  the  leg  is  too  straight  the  inside  of  the  knee  and 
thigh  becomes  round,  which  makes  gripping  mor^ 


44      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

difficult  (Hayes).  It  will  also  be  found  that,  owing 
to  their  diversity  of  action,  different  horses  require 
to  be  ridden  with  longer  or  shorter  stirrups.  In 
1909  at  the  Military  Tournament  the  Rough-Riders 
from  the  Royal  Artillery  Riding  Establishment, 
using  the  hunting  seat,  sat  perfectly  without  either 
reins  or  stirrups  over  a  5  ft.  5  in.  rail — one  horse 
jumping  6  ft. — besides  other  formidable  obstacles, 
which  proves  that  no  better  seat  could  be  wanted  for 
practical  work. 

It  must  be  understood  that  all  my  future  remarks 
on  instruction  in  riding  will  refer  to  the  attainment 
of  the  hunting  seat  alone. 


in 

BALANCE 


Ill 

BALANCE 

"  It  is  from  the  loins  that  he  must  really  ride  when  all  is  said  and 
done."  Whyte  Melville. 

••  He  that  would  venture  nothing  must  not  get  on  a  horse." 

Spanish  Proverb. 

T>  ALANCE,  i.  e.,  the  mechanical  adjustment  of 
the  body  to  the  movements  of  the  horse,  is 
the  foundation  of  all  good  riding.  It  is  the  most 
difficult  of  all  things  to  teach,  and  is  more  quickly 
acquired  by  men  with  pluck  and  nerve  than  by  those 
who  lack  self-confidence.  The  secret  of  its  attain- 
ment is  suppleness  of  the  body  from  the  hips  up- 
wards ;  Pembroke  righly  remarks  that  "  good  riding 
is  incompatible  with  stiffness."  The  heavily-topped 
man  with  short  legs  is  theoretically  at  a  disadvantage 
as  a  horseman,  because  his  center  of  gravity  is 
higher,  and  therefore  farther  from  the  saddle.  Nor- 
mally it  is  at  about  the  height  of  an  imaginary  line 
running  horizontally  through  the  hips.    Once  learnt, 

balance  is  quite  instinctive. 

47 


48      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  .Education 

Some  devotees  of  the  straight-legged  seat  have 
written  that  man  should  ride  by  balance,  and  I  have 
met  Boers  who  used  no  girths,  but  this  practice 
and  the  other  comfortable  theory  would  break  down 
were  jumping  to  be  undertaken,  or  the  riding  of 
anything  but  a  well-trained  horse  on  the  flat,  who 
would  be  sure  not  to  make  what  some  writers  term 
"  reactions."  Under  any  more  strenuous  conditions 
the  rider  cannot  poise  his  body  to  balance  it  unless 
the  knees  are  firm  on  the  saddle. 

For  instructional  purposes  the  principle  of  bal- 
ance on  horseback  should  be  considered  under  three 
aspects :  the  first  when  the  horse  is  advancing  in  a 
straight  line ;  the  second  when  he  inclines  his  body 
inwards  in  the  act  of  turning — the  degree  of  inclina- 
tion being  determined  by  the  pace  at  which  he  is 
traveling ;  and  the  third  when  the  horse  is  jumping. 

In  the  first  case,  all  the  rider  has  to  be  taught  to 
do  in  the  initial  stages  is  to  sit  in  an  easy  position 
with  his  seat  well  under  him  in  the  center  of  the  sad- 
dle, and  to  look  between  the  horse's  ears.  In  this  and 
in  the  third  aspects  the  security  of  the  rider's  seat 
depends  on  the  application  of  his  weight  with  refer- 
ence to  the  perpendicular;  at  very  fast  paces  the 


Balance  40 

man*s  body  is  of  course  inclined  forward  to  coun- 
teract the  forces  acting  against  it.  A  different  rea- 
son dictates  to  the  rider  that  he  should  lean  forward 
to  rise  at  the  trot.  He  does  this  to  shift  his  center 
of  gravity  farther  forward  and  therefore  more  over 
the  fulcrum :  i.  e.,  the  knees,  thus  making  the  body 
easier  to  lift. 

In  the  second  case,  when  the  horse  leans  inwards 
to  turn,  the  rider's  body  must  be  in  the  same  plane 
— that  is  to  say,  at  the  same  angle  as  the  horse's 
(Plate  III).  If  it  remains  perpendicular  with  the 
ground,  as  when  riding  straight  forward,  the  pupil 
will  have  a  tendency  to  fall  off  outwards ;  if  he  leans 
more  inwards  than  the  horse,  he  will  conversely  fall 
off  inwards.  Therefore  when  turns  are  first  prac- 
tised the  instructor  must  center  his  attention  on 
persuading  the  pupil  to  incline  his  body  with  that  of 
the  horse,  exactly  as  he  would  on  a  bicycle;  centri- 
fugal force  alters  the  plane  of  the  horse's  body,  and 
the  rider  must  conform. 

In  teaching  a  man  how  to  poise  his  body  in  order 
to  maintain  its  balance  when  jumping,  the  directions 
given  in  many  books  should  be  disregarded,  includ- 
ing the  text-book  ( 1907)  of  the  British  Army.    The 


50      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

child  on  the  rocking-horse  keeps  his  body  practically- 
perpendicular  to  the  ground  whilst  the  horse  rocks, 
if  he  is  not  bearing  on  the  reins;  he  appears  to  lean 
backwards  and  forwards,  but  this  is  an  ocular  de- 
ception caused  by  the  rocking  movements.  When 
the  boy  learns  to  ride  on  leaving  the  nursery  he  is 
often  told  to  sit  well  back  when  going  at  any  fence 
but  a  bank,  and  the  true  balance  he  may  have  ac- 
quired as  an  infant  is  sacrificed.  The  position  he  is 
now  taught  to  assume  in  the  saddle  makes  holding 
on  by  the  reins  a  necessity  if  he  is  not  to  tumble  back- 
wards off  his  pony  when  it  rises. 

The  rocking-horse  does  not,  however,  move  for- 
ward, and  if  the  reader  stands  on  an  advancing  plat- 
form he  will  find  that  to  maintain  his  equilibrium  he 
must  lean  more  or  less  forward,  according  to  the 
pace  at  which  the  platform  is  traveling. 

Plates  IV  and  V  show  the  correct  balance  of  the 
body  when  the  horse  rises  and  when  he  is  in  the  mid- 
dle of  his  jump,  the  pace  being  a  slow  canter  in  both 
cases ;  it  will  be  seen  that  the  preponderance  of  the 
rider's  weight  in  either  picture  is  on  the  forward 
side  of  a  line  passing  through  the  man's  hips  and 
perpendicular  with   the   ground.     In   Plate  VI,  as 


Pi 


a 


f2 


^ 


o 


Balance  $1 

the  horse  shown  is  moving  much  faster  and  as  the 
pace  must  regulate  the  degree  of  incHnation,  the 
rider's  body  is  in  this  case  incHned  more  forward,  in 
order  to  preserve  true  balance. 

Plate  VII  illustrates  the  evil  effect  of  letting  the 
body  get  behind  the  perpendicular  at  either  of  these 
phases  of  the  jump;  the  rider  depicted  in  it  had,  to 
my  certain  knowledge,  excellent  gripping  power,  but 
grip  alone  was  not  enough  on  this  occasion ;  the  man 
had  no  reins  to  hold  on  by,  and  he  therefore  fell  off 
backwards.  I  have  witnessed  many  falls  from  the 
same  cause,  and  the  skeptic  can  at  once  prove  the 
correctness  of  the  statement  by  dropping  his  reins 
at  a  fence. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  poise  of  the  body  when 
the  horse  is  in  the  act  of  descending.  If  the  reader 
will  stand  up  on  the  car  of  a  switch-back  in  motion 
he  will  find  that  to  maintain  his  equilibrium  he  will 
have  to  lean  forward  when  going, downhill,  and  the 
difference  between  this  movement  and  that  of  land- 
ing over  a  fence  is  that  at  slow  paces  the  horse  gener- 
ally dwells  when  he  lands,  whereas  the  switchback 
makes  no  pause  at  the  bottom  of  the  incline.  Care- 
ful observation  extending  over  a  lengthened  period. 


52      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

and  assisted  by  photographic  experiments,  has  led 
me  to  the  conclusion  that  in  landing  over  a  fence  at  a 
canter  the  rider  depicted  in  Plate  VIII  has  got  his 
body  as  far  back  as  possible  with  due  regard  to 
safety,  and  that  this  poise  can  only  be  assumed  at  a 
slow  pace  and  on  a  horse  which  dwells  on  landing. 
If  the  animal  is  very  quick  away  after  jumping  at  a 
canter  the  rider  is  apt  to  be  left  if  his  body  is  not 
slightly  on  the  forward  side  of  the  perpendicular 
with  the  ground.  I  must  here  impress  upon  the 
reader  that  for  the  rider  to  get  behind  the  perpen- 
dicular when  landing  over  a  big  fence  he  must  lean 
back  to  a  considerable  degree  from  his  hips.  The 
Italians  say  that  the  body  should  be  in  front  of  the 
perpendicular  to  the  horse  on  the  downward  plane 
and  when  landing;  this  is  a  necessary  corollary  to 
their  method  of  riding,  and  they  hold  their  reins 
shorter  than  we  do  in  England.  The  objections  to 
this  practice,  excepting  perhaps  for  steeplechasing, 
will  be  referred  to  later  on  in  the  section  on  the 
'*  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands." 

Any  amateur  who  has  ridden  a  gallop  at  a 
trainer's  will  have  experienced  to  his  discomfiture 
how  quickly  a  well-schooled  horse  gets  away  on 


bo 


u 

o 

bo 

G 


Balance  53 

landing,  and  how  the  reins  alone  have  saved  him  if 
he  has  been  leaning  back.  Go  to  any  steeplechase 
meeting  in  England  and  observe  the  poise  of  the 
jockey's  bodies  as  the  horse  is  on  the  downward 
plane;  you  will  find  that  about  sixty  per  cent,  are 
sitting  more  or  less  as  depicted  in  Plate  IX,  and  the 
remaining  forty  per  cent,  are  leaning  back — some 
even  behind  the  perpendicular.  In  a  kindly  review 
of  this  book  in  an  English  magazine,  the  writer 
asserts  that  the  jockey  in  the  above-mentioned  plate 
does  not  bear  out  my  argument,  as  he  has  been 
jerked  forward  by  the  shock  of  landing.  I  would 
ask  the  reader  to  study  the  position  of  the  rider's 
arms  and  the  length  of  his  reins ;  if  he  had  been  lean- 
ing back  before  his  horse's  fore-legs  touched  the 
ground,  the  animal's  head  would  have  been  pulled 
up  into  an  impossible  position. 

This  statement  concerning  steeplechase  jockeys  is 
not  perhaps  easy  to  believe,  and  a  well-known  rider 
who  has  won  the  National  affirms  that  it  is  ridic- 
ulous, particularly  over  that  course.  I  was,  how- 
ever, enabled  to  verify  it  by  the  kindness  of  the 
"  Warwick  Trading  Company,"  who  gave  me  a 
private  exhibition  on  the  bioscope  of  the  best  pro- 


54      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

fessional  and  amateur  jockeys  negotiating  every 
class  of  fence  on  practically  every  steeplechase 
course. 

It  seems  to  me  that  if  we  hold  to  the  instructions 
of  our  fathers  and  throw  the  body  behind  the  per- 
pendicular on  landing,  we  are  acting  as  if  a  blunder 
and  not  a  clean  jump  were  the  rule  in  steeplechasing 
and  hunting.  It  may  be  argued  that  by  doing  so  we 
lighten  the  horse's  forehand  and  thus  help  to  save  a 
fall  if  he  pecks,  but  on  the  other  hand  it  reduces  his 
pace  and  makes  interference  with  his  head  and  neck 
at  a  critical  moment  almost  a  certainty.  This  last 
point  will  be  fully  discussed  in  the  "  Use  and  Mis- 
use of  the  Hands."  When  the  horse  does  blunder, 
the  body  should  be  thrown  back  if  possible,  and  the 
same  thing  applies  to  stumbling. 

We  now  come  to  the  case  when  leaning  forward 
is  overdone  for  practical  riding,  which  is  at  ''  show 
jumping."  It  is  a  common  thing  at  a  horse  show  to 
see  the  English  professional  rider  landing  with  his 
chest  touching  the  horse's  neck  (see  Plate  X),  and 
this  is  done  to  take  the  weight  off  the  animal's  quar- 
ters and  make  him  less  likely  to  strike  the  obstacle 
with   his  hind-legs.     The  practice   is  mechanically 


(XI 

be 

c 

s 

»— > 

I 

o 
(/J 


Balance  55 

correct  as  far  as  the  horse's  jumping  is  concerned, 
but  the  rider  will  in  all  probability  fall  off  if  the 
animal  makes  a  mistake.  Even  if  he  were  going  at 
top  speed,  so  much  deviation  from  the  perpendicular 
would  make  balance  impossible ;  the  rider  can,  how- 
ever, maintain  his  seat  by  firm  grip  if  all  goes  well, 
as  his  body  is  poised  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
horse's  body  is  being  propelled,  and  not  as  in  Plate 
VII.  Another  disadvantage  of  this  show  jumping 
posture  is,  that  increased  weight  comes  on  the  fore- 
hand on  landing. 

Hayes,  in  "  Points  of  the  Horse,"  and  in  his  arti- 
cle on  riding  in  the  "  Encyclopaedia  of  Sport,"  says 
that  the  body  should  be  leant  back  when  the  horse 
rises  at  a  fence  in  order  to  lighten  the  forehand  and 
assist  the  horse  in  the  rearing  up  which  is  his  first 
movement  in  jumping;  he  can  never  have  experi- 
mented without  reins,  or  he  would  have  found  out 
the  evils  of  the  practice.  Mechanically,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  horse  only,  his  statement  is  open  to  seri- 
ous argument,  as  apparently  he  had  neglected  the 
force  of  propulsion,  and  the  angle  of  its  application. 
In  negotiating  a  "  drop,"  the  force  of  gravity  makes 
the  angle  of  descent  of  the  horse  steeper,  and  the 


56      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

rider's  head  will  naturally  come  nearer  to  the  horse's 
croup. 

To  the  reader  who  is  interested  in  this  subject, 
I  would  suggest  the  experiment  of  placing  himself 
near  a  small  fence  or  hurdle  the  next  time  he  is  out 
hunting,  and  watching  the  field  jump  it.  He  will 
then  see  how  many  people  retain  their  balance  by 
means  of  the  reins. 


IV 

KNEE  AND  THIGH  GRIP 


IV 

KNEE  AND  THIGH  GRIP 

•'  When  fastened  like  glue  to  the  saddle 
We  gallop  astern  of  the  pack." 

Tarporley  Hunting  Song,  1855. 

^np^HE  man  who  has  never  been  on  a  horse  prob- 
ably  has  very  Httle  development  of  the  partic- 
ular muscles  used  in  riding ;  and  however  strong  he 
may  be  naturally,  he  cannot  have  much  confidence  in 
himself  when  asked  to  apply  them  for  the  first  time 
on  an  animal  he  most  likely  regards  with  awe.  Two 
sets  of  muscles,  the  flexor  at  the  groin,  which  keeps 
the  knee  up,  and  the  adductor  grip  muscles,  have  to 
be  developed  before  a  satisfactory  seat  can  be  at- 
tained. The  process  by  which  this  may  be  done  is  a 
branch  of  the  art  of  training  athletes  which  does  not 
always  receive  the  attention  it  deserves.  Before  a 
man  learns  to  drive  four  horses  it  is  necessary  that 
he  should  strengthen  the  muscles  of  his  shoulders, 
arms,  and  fingers  by  manipulating  dummy  reins  with 

weights  attached  to  them,  if  quick  results  are  to  be 

59 


6o      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

obtained  when  he  gets  on  to  the  box,  and  the  same 
principle  must  apply  to  the  thigh  muscles  of  the  man 
who  is  to  be  taught  riding.  The  polo  player  not 
only  uses  the  dummy  pony  to  get  his  eye  in,  but  also 
to  strengthen  his  arm  and  wrist,  and  incidentally 
his  thighs. 

The  fact  that  grip  can  only  be  obtained  by  mus- 
cular contraction  renders  its  constant  application  im- 
possible on  the  score  of  fatigue;  its  early  acquire- 
ment is  nevertheless  most  important  to  give  the  pupil 
confidence.  If  a  man  feels  he  has  sufficient  grip 
power  to  help  him  he  will  more  quickly  learn  bal- 
ance. 

Certain  exercises  will  develop  the  flexor  and  ad- 
ductor muscles ;  they  may  be  gone  through  either  on 
a  horse  or  on  a  dummy  horse,  and  should  be  in- 
creased gradually.  If  possible,  the  pupil  should  be 
put  through  them  once  a  day  for  about  ten  days 
before  his  instruction  in  riding  commences.  They 
should  be  continued  during  the  first  part  of  the 
course,  and  not  in  the  hours  allotted  to  riding.  The 
instructor  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  useless  to 
exercise  a  tired  muscle,  and  he  will  find  that  the  man 
can  accomplish  but  little  during  the  first  few  days. 


Knee  and  Thigh  Grip  61 

Where  there  is  a  constant  flow  of  pupils,  a  small 
number  of  dummy  horses  will  well  repay  their  initial 
cost.  They  can  be  made  from  a  short  piece  of  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  having  approximately  the  same  girth 
as  a  horse,  or  a  small  barrel  standing  on  four  props. 
The  top  of  the  trunk  or  barrel  should  be  fitted  to 
take  a  saddle,  and  should  be  about  four  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  place  where  the  knee  lies  may  be  hol- 
lowed out  and  stuffed  with  hay  to  give  a  softer 
grip.  The  wood  below  the  level  of  the  knee  should 
be  cut  away  to  prevent  the  rider  from  obtaining  any 
assistance  from  the  lower  part  of  the  leg.  Supervi- 
sion is  simpler  if  a  dummy  horse  is  used,  as  the  in- 
structor is  more  on  a  level  with  his  pupil ;  the  latter 
will  not  be  preoccupied  with  the  management  of 
his  horse,  and  will  learn  from  the  first  to  be  entirely 
independent  of  his  reins  as  far  as  his  seat  is  con- 
cerned. 

Dummy  horses  are  also  useful  for  teaching 
mounting  and  saddling,  besides  bridling  and  hold- 
ing the  reins  if  there  is  a  head;  their  employment 
for  instructional  purposes  is  not  a  new  idea :  Vege- 
tius  wrote  that  wooden  horses  were  used  in  early 
times  to  teach  vaulting  on  to  the  horse  (Berenger). 


62      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Early  in  1907  three  of  these  horses  were  set  up  in 
the  gallery  of  one  of  the  Riding  Establishment's 
riding  schools  at  Woolwich,  and  the  exercises  given 
below  practised  on  them. 

It  is  important  that  the  pupil  should  be  placed 
well  down  in  the  saddle  before  commencing. 

I  wish  to  lay  stress  on  this  point,  which  is  often 
neglected  by  instructors.  The  exercises  lose  half 
their  value  if  the  pupil  sits  on  the  back  of  the 
saddle. 

The  following  are  the  exercises,  the  first  two 
being  the  most  important : — 

1.  Rising  from  the  knee  with  stirrups. 

2.  Rising  from  the  knee  without  stirrups  (at  a 
later  stage). 

3.  Touching  the  foot  with  the  hand  on  each  side, 
with  and  without  stirrups. 

4.  Leaning  forwards  and  backwards  in  the  sad- 
dle, with  and  without  stirrups. 

5.  Swinging  the  lower  part  of  the  leg  to  the  rear, 
and  towards  the  horse's  side,  so  that  it  describes 
a  circular  motion. 

In  all  the  foregoing  exercises  the  knee  should  be 


Knee  and  Thigh  Grip  63 

kept  firm  on  the  saddle,  and  no  assistance  derived 
from  the  lower  part  of  the  leg. 
6.  Relaxing  and  tightening  the  knee  and  thigh 

grip. 

The  first  four  exercises  make  the  body  supple 
from  the  hips ;  3  and  4,  which  are  taken  out  of  the 
British  Cavalry  Training  Manual,  make  excellent 
balancing  exercises  at  a  trot  and  canter  when  the 
pupil's  instruction  in  riding  is  some  way  advanced, 
and  No.  5  is  a  m/odification  of  an  exercise  recom- 
mended by  Baucher.  I  have  given  them  a  long  and 
thorough  trial,  and  am  convinced  of  their  great 
value;  the  beginner  who  has  not  undergone  them 
and  is  allowed  to  ride  with  reins  will  always  raise 
himself  out  of  the  saddle  when  rising  at  the  trot 
by  pulling  on  the  reins,  instead  of  by  using  his  knee. 

The  reader  who  wishes  to  teach  a  child  to  ride 
may  or  may  not  decide  to  follow  this  procedure,  hav- 
ing plenty  of  time  at  his  disposal :  I  can  only  say 
that  I  have  tried  it  with  youths  of  between  thirteen 
and  fifteen  years  of  age  with  the  most  excellent  re- 
sults, and  that  it  would  seem  obviously  safer  with 
very  young  children  to  lessen  the  risk  of  danger- 
ous falls,  which  must  frequently  occur  where,  as  is 


64      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

usually  the  case,  a  little  boy  rides  entirely  by  balance 
and  by  the  help  of  the  reins  for  months  and  even 
years  after  his  first  riding  lesson. 

My  successor  at  the  Riding  Establishment,  Major 
the  Hon.  W.  D.  Sclater  Booth,  R.H.A.,  has  im- 
proved and  enlarged  upon  the  idea  of  the  dummy 
horse  (Plates  XI  and  XII),  by  mounting  it  on 
rockers  and  converting  it  into  a  full-sized  child's 
"  rocking-horse,"  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  the  ele- 
ments of  fore-and-aft  balance,  and  the  movements  of 
the  shoulders,  elbows,  and  wrists  in  jumping.  The 
horse's  throat  works  on  a  hinge  and  is  connected 
with  the  nose  by  pulleys  and  weights,  so  that  when 
the  dummy  is  in  motion  the  action  of  the  bending 
and  stretching  of  a  horse's  neck  is  represented.  The 
pulley  and  weights  are  not  shown  in  the  illustration. 

This  elaboration  of  the  dummy  horse  permits  of 
exercises  which  have  more  life  and  movement,  and 
relieves  the  tyro  of  all  fear  of  monotony.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  exercises  already  given,  for  which  the 
horse  should  be  fixed,  the  following  may  be  prac- 
tised : — 

I.  An  instructor  rocking  the  horse,  the  pupil 
swings  his  body  backwards  and  forwards. 


1 

1 

1 

1 

i^ 

|| 

^^          'IS    lii^te^ 

'§ 

1 

o 

c 

o 

o 

I 

-M 


o 
d) 

>-■ 

o 
X 
bo 


Knee  and  Thigh  Grip  65 

2.  The  same  as  No.  i,  the  pupil  holding  the 
reins  and  shooting  out  his  arms  from  the  shoulder 
as  the  horse  descends. 

3.  Sitting  with  arms  folded,  and  rocking  the 
horse  by  swinging  the  upper  part  of  the  body.  This 
exercise  especially  develops  the  thigh  muscles. 

It  is  obvious  that  much  better  results  are  obtained 
from  preliminary  exercises  on  this  rocking-horse 
than  on  the  fixed  dummy  horse. 

Rider's  strain  is  by  no  means  uncommon,  and  is 
most  painful  and  tiresome.  Major  Philip  G.  levers, 
Royal  Army  Medical  Corps  (retired),  tells  me  that 
he  has  cured  many  cases  by  the  use  of  the  following 
contrivance. — 

(Fig.  i).  A  pulley,  which  can  be  purchased  with 
a  screw  attached  to  it,  may  be  fastened  to  a  beam  or 
any  wooden  structure  in  the  ceiling.  The  weight 
should  be  of  seven  or  eight  pounds  to  commence 
with,  gradually  increased  to  twelve  pounds;  it 
should  be  from  two  to  three  feet  from  the  ground 
when  the  foot-loop  rests  on  the  ground,  thus  allow- 
ing sufficient  play  for  the  motion  of  the  foot  to  be  of 
a  semi-rotatory  character.    The  exercise  should  be 


66      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

practised  daily  for  from  five  to  ten  minutes  at  first, 
and  later  on  for  fifteen  minutes  or  more.  A  fort- 
night or  three  weeks  generally  makes  the  muscle 
quite  strong. 


Fig.  I. 


V 

GETTING'  DOWN  INTO  THE  SADDLE 


GETTING  DOWN  INTO  THE  SADDLE 

"  As  he  rammed  down  his  hat,  and  got  home  in  his  seat, 
This  rum  one  to  follow,  this  bad  one  to  beat." 

Whyte  Melville. 

N  Other  words,  this  simply  means  being  part 
and  parcel  with  your  horse ;  sitting  in  the  sad- 
dle and  not  on  it. 

The  pupil  will  take  some  time  to  attain  this  de- 
sirable end  unless  he  does  a  certain  amount  of  rid- 
ing without  stirrups  during  his  course,  and  when 
he  is  using  them  they  should  not  be  fitted  too  short. 
There  is  a  general  tendency  nowadays  in  this  direc- 
tion, and  it  is  not,  in  my  opinion,  to  be  encouraged 
for  beginners.  For  an  exaggerated  example  of  this 
we  have  only  to  go  to  the  flat-racing  stable.  Here 
boys  practically  commence  riding  with  their  thighs 
horizontal,  with  the  result  that  we  have  such  good 
judges  as  Messrs.  Richard  Marsh,  Tom  Cannon 

Senior,  and  S.  Darling  deploring  the  deterioration 

69 


70      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

of  the  flat-race  jockeys  of  to-day.  As  previously 
mentioned,  the  balance  of  the  body  with  short  stir- 
rups is  difficult  even  for  the  finished  horseman ;  how 
much  more  so  for  the  beginner.  The  heavier  lads 
in  an  English  racing  stable  who  are  selected  to 
"  make  "  the  yearlings  use  stirrups  of  the  usual 
length,  and  they  are  the  conspicuously  better  horse- 
men for  ordinary  riding. 

Baucher  was  a  believer  in  the  following  exercise 
for  getting  the  pupil  well  split  up :  "  He  will  remove 
one  of  his  thighs  as  far  as  possible  from  the  quar- 
ters of  the  saddle,  and  afterwards  replace  it  with  a 
rotatory  movement  from  without  inwards,  in  order 
to  make  it  adhere  to  the  saddle  by  as  many  points 
of  contact  as  possible." 

To  cure  round  thighs,  another  experienced 
teacher,  who  was  for  some  time  responsible  for 
equitation  in  our  Army,  claimed  that  good  results 
came  from  putting  the  hand  under  the  fleshy  part  of 
the  thigh  when  in  the  saddle,  and  pulling  it  out- 
wards. I  do  not  consider  that  in  either  case  the  re- 
sults would  justify  the  expenditure  of  time  and  trou- 
ble. If  the  instructor  has  placed  the  pupil  well  into 
his  saddle  on  the  dummy  horse,  his  labors  in  this 


Getting  Down  into  the  Saddle  71 

respect  will  be  lightened  when  riding  proper  com- 
mences. 

The  round,  fat-thighed  man  is  physically  pre- 
vented from  getting  well  down  into  the  saddle,  and 
is  therefore  not  so  favorably  placed  for  retaining 
his  seat  as  his  longer-legged  and  more  flat-thighed 
brother. 


VI 

THE  ONE  AID  AND  THE  INDICATIONS 


VI 

THE  ONE  AID  AND  THE  INDICATIONS 

"  Any  fool  can  learn  to  ride  a  horse,  but  it  takes  an  accomplished 
man  to  be  a  horseman."  Old  French  Saying. 

"  Man  and  horse  should  be  one  perfect  whole ;  .  .  .  when  it  is  not, 
there  is  no  meaning  between  man  and  horse,  they  talk  different 
languages  and  all  is  confusion."  Berenger. 

"XT  r HEN  the  pupil  has  acquired  a  firm  and  well- 
balanced  seat,  the  instructor's  next  aim 
must  be  to  teach  the  use  to  which  the  movement  of 
the  body  from  the  hips  upwards  can  be  put  for  alter- 
ing the  distribution  of  the  weight ;  as  also  the  use 
of  the  hand,  the  lower  part  of  the  leg,  the  voice,  the 
whip,  and  the  spur,  experts  having  very  different 
opinions  on  all  these  points.  They  are  referred 
to  in  nearly  all  books  as  the  "  aids,"  and  to  the 
average  Englishman  who  has  not  been  through  a 
military  riding  school  the  word  is  shrouded  in  mys- 
tery, and  usually  associated  with  Haute  Ecole  work ; 
yet  every  time  he  rides  he  makes  use  of  one  aid 
and  several  indications  to  make  his  horse  do  what  he 

wants. 

75 


76      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Generally  speaking,  the  word  **  aids  "  is  a  mis- 
nomer; there  is  only  one  hona-Me  aid — the  move- 
ment of  the  body  from  the  hips  upwards.  Of  the 
others,  Greenwood  writes :  **  Common  sense  tells 
us  that  a  horse  receives  no  aid  from  a  pull  in  the 
mouth  with  a  piece  of  iron,  or  a  blow  from  a  whip 
or  kick  in  the  side  from  an  armed  heel."  The  hands 
can  regulate  a  horse's  pace  to  keep  him  from  floun- 
dering in  a  plough ;  the  legs  can  indicate  to  him  what 
we  wish  him  to  do  with  his  hind-quarters,  and  can 
put  him  into  his  bridle,  but  they  are  no  mechanical 
aid  to  his  movements.  The  voice  may  encourage 
him,  but,  again,  it  cannot  aid. 

I  have  before  me  as  I  w^ite  the  so-called  ''  aids  " 
recommended  in  the  English,  French,  German, 
Italian,  and  Austo-Hungarian  cavalry  drill-books,  to 
make  a  horse  strike  off  at  a  canter  with  whichever 
leg  the  rider  desires.  They  do  not  all  agree,  and 
in  matters  of  detail  are  often  diametrically  different, 
whilst  many  of  the  directions  given  are  very  in- 
volved. The  "  aids  "  in  the  British  military  text- 
book have  been  changed  more  than  once. 

A  combined  use  of  the  aid  and  the  indications,  of 
the  simplest  possible  character,   and  violating  no 


The  One  Aid  and  the  Indications        77 

principle  of  elementary  mechanics,  will  be  given  later 
in  the  section  devoted  to  instructional  exercises,  and 
I  v^ill  there  deal  with  each  one  separately,  but  must 
insist  on  the  sound  principle  that  their  use  can  only 
be  properly  taught  when  the  pupil  has  acquired  a 
firm  seat,  although  he  should  be  shown  from  the  first 
how  to  start  his  horse  at  a  walk,  etc.,  and  how  to 
turn  him — this  much  he  can  accomplish. 

When  the  pupil  is  receiving  instruction  in  the  use 
of  the  aid  and  the  indications,  he  should  be  mounted 
on  a  horse  that  will  obey  them  properly  when  ap- 
plied. It  is  not  an  uncommon  practice  to  mount  the 
beginner  on  a  horse  with  an  iron  mouth,  and  a  flank 
with  about  as  much  feeling  in  it  as  a  brick  wall — 
or  perhaps  it  would  be  more  correct  to  say,  a  flank 
that  is  totally  unresponsive  to  the  rider's  signals ;  the 
instructor  is  then  very  much  annoyed  when  neither 
horse  nor  man  will  do  what  is  required  of  him. 


VII 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  RIDER'S  VTEIOHT 


VII 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  RIDER'S  WEIGHT 

"  The  Tartars  have  in  all  ages  been  famous  under  different  names 
for  their  love  of  horses,  and  skill  in  riding.  It  is  a  practice  with 
them,  says  an  author,  ...  to  tye  the  reins  of  their  bridles  to  their 
girdles,  and  by  the  motions  of  their  bodies  alone  to  govern  and  direct 
their  horses;  putting  them  into  different  attitudes,,  and  making  them 
perform  a  variety  of  evolutions."  Berenger. 

'T^HE  rider  can  help,  hinder,  or  assume  a  neutral 
attitude  towards  the  movements  of  his  horse, 
by  poising  the  upper  part  of  the  body  so  as  to  bring 
more  weight  to  bear  on  a  particular  leg  or  legs,  or 
by  taking  the  weight  of  it  off  them.  This  is  an  aid 
which  is  not  very  generally  understood,  and  is  ex- 
tremely valuable,  as  it  is  not  dependent  on  the  sensi- 
tiveness of  the  horse's  mouth  or  sides. 

When  there  is  no  weight  on  the  horse's  back  he 
can  be  taught  to  move  in  any  particular  way  through 
the  medium  of  signs  given  by  the  reins,  or  by  the 
whip  and  voice.     It  does  not  at  all  follow  that  the 

same  indications  will  make  different  horses  do  the 

8i 


82      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

same  things ;  for  instance,  a  horse  can  be  taught  to 
come  to  the  whip,  that  is  to  say,  to  come  to  you  when 
struck,  or  to  fly  from  you  at  the  same  signal ;  to  go 
faster  as  the  pressure  of  the  reins  gets  stronger, 
like  an  American  trotter,  or  to  pull  up  under  similar 
treatment;  the  whole  thing  is  a  matter  of  training. 
Put  a  man  on  a  horse's  back  and  he  can  teach  the 
animal  to  do  various  things  when  certain  indications 
of  the  hands  and  legs  are  applied,  but  he  can  make 
it  physically  difficult  for  the  horse  to  obey  him  by  a 
false  distribution  of  the  weight  of  his  own  body. 
Lean  over  and  towards  a  horse's  fore-leg  when  he  is 
standing  still,  and  he  will  not  move  it  comfortably ; 
you  have  so  weighted  it  as  to  make  it  easier  for  him 
to  get  the  other  off  the  ground.  The  simplest  practi- 
cal demonstration  of  the  soundness  of  this  principle 
is  to  place  yourself  on  all  fours  on  the  ground,  let 
somebody  get  on  to  your  back  and  lean  towards 
your  right  hand,  and  then  try  to  move  it.  Or  with 
no  one  on  your  back  you  can  make  up  your  mind  to 
move  one  particular  hand,  and  you  will  find  that  be- 
fore doing  so  you  must  lighten  it  by  shifting  the 
weight  of  the  upper  part  of  your  body  on  to  the 
other  arm. 


Distribution  of  the  Rider*s  Weight        S3 

In  the  light  of  the  above  paragraph  it  is  easy  to 
understand  how  the  horse  is  helped  in  turning  if 
the  rider  poises  his  body  so  as  to  weight  the  leg  the 
horse  uses  as  a  pivot.  For  example,  in  turning  on 
the  quarters  to  the  right,  the  body  should  be  leant 
back  and  to  the  right.  Conversely,  it  helps  the  horse 
if  we  lighten  the  leg  he  wishes  to  strike  off  with  at 
a  canter.  The  French,  Austrians,  and  Italians  do  so 
in  the  following  manner :  for  commencing  the  canter 
on  a  straight  line  with,  say,  the  off  fore-leg  leading, 
the  man  rests  his  weight  on  his  left  buttock,  at  the 
same  time  leaning  slightly  back,  thus  making  it 
easier  for  the  horse  to  move  the  desired  leg. 

When  cantering  on  a  small  circle  the  horse 
naturally  moves  with  his  inward  leg  leading,  either 
with  or  without  a  man  on  his  back.  If  he  is  being 
longed  with  a  single  rein  and  cavesson  and  is  going 
unwillingly — that  is  to  say  with  a  pull  on  the  rein — 
his  head  will  be  brought  in  and  his  outward  shoulder 
will  be  forward;  this  may  make  him  lead  with  the 
outward  leg,  but  it  cannot  be  taken  as  a  test,  as  his 
hind-legs  will  be  working  on  a  larger  circumference 
than  his  fore-legs :  in  fact,  the  horse  is  not  moving 
on  a  true  circle  at  all. 


84      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

The  theory  has  often  been  advanced  that  the 
horse  leads  with  his  inward  leg  to  support  the  weight 
of  the  rider  as  he  inclines  his  body  towards  the 
center  of  the  circle  in  obedience  to  centrifugal  force, 
but  as  the  animal  does  just  the  same  thing  when 
riderless  we  must  look  for  another  explanation. 
This  seems  to  me  to  lie  in  the  fact  that  it  is  mechani- 
cally easier  for  the  horse,  because  the  inward  leg  is 
moving  on  a  smaller  circle  than  the  outer  one;  it 
would  be  very  awkward  for  the  animal  to  lead  with 
the  latter,  and  would  also  expose  him  to  the  danger 
of  crossing  his  fore-legs  and  falling. 

Centrifugal  force  is  accountable  for  the  fact 
that  the  rider's  weight  is  about  evenly  distributed 
though  he  and  the  horse  lean  inwards.  A  vehicle 
always  upsets  outwards  when  driven  too  fast  round 
a  corner,  which  shows  that  the  weight  is  on  the  outer 
wheels :  the  carriage  cannot  lean  inwards  like  a  liv- 
ing body  to  adjust  the  distribution  of  the  weight. 

Centrifugal  force  is  also  responsible  for  the  swing 
of  the  body  not  being  a  "  false  "  aid  when  teaching 
the  young  horse  to  change  his  legs  in  a  figure-of- 
eight  ;  on  a  trained  horse  it  should,  when  necessary, 
make  him  do  so  at  once. 


Distribution  of  the  Rider's  Weight        85 

The  correct  attitude  of  the  body  when  jumping, 
and  the  evil  results  of  leaning  either  too  far  back  or 
unduly  far  forward  have  already  been  dealt  with 
under  the  heading  of  Balance. 


VIII 

THS  USE  AND  IMISVSE  OF  THE  HANDS 


VIII 

THE  USB  AND  MISUSE  OF  THE  HANDS 

"  The  Writers  of  Books,  and  the  Horse-Men  now  living,  that  think 
themselves  Wise,  and  great  masters,  by  the  diversity  of  Bitts,  shew 
themselves  full  of  Ignorance,  and  Simple  People,  to  imagine.  That 
a  piece  of  Iron  in  a  Plorse's  Mouth  can  bring  him  Knowledge ;  no 
more  than  a  Book  in  a  Boyes  Hand  can,  at  first,  make  him  Read.^'' 

Newcastle. 

"  The  hand,  which  by  givin?^  and  taking  properly,  gains  its  point 
with  the  least  force,  is  the  best."  Pembroke. 

^nr^HE  man  who  can  control  his  horse  in  all  man- 
ner of  situations  and  over  all  classes  of  coun- 
try with' the  minimum  of  discomfort  to  the  aminal 
and  therefore  to  himself  may  be  said  to  have  good 
hands.  There  are  men  of  exceptional  disposition 
who  have  that  inborn  influence  over  horses  which  it 
is  impossible  to  explain,  and  they  will  always  stand 
out  in  a  class  of  their  own  as  regards  hands;  but 
I  can  see  no  reason  why  most  other  riders  should 
have  bad  ones,  providing  they  have  a  firm  seat  in- 
dependent of  the  reins  and  know  how  to  use  them, 

and  ride  properly  balanced  horses. 

89 


90      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

The  importance  of  horse-balance  will  be  dealt  with 
fully  in  the  section  on  horse-training,  but  some  men- 
tion of  it  is  necessary  here,  as  the  rider  of  an  ill- 
balanced  horse  must  perforce  use  his  hands  very 
much  more  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case,  and 
thus  run  the  chance  of  upsetting  the  animal  by  dis- 
turbing his  mouth.  The  power  of  the  hand  is  also 
to  a  great  extent  regulated  by  the  balance  of  the 
horse.  Adams  puts  this  very  graphically,  and  sug- 
gests the  experiment  of  standing  in  an  upright  posi- 
tion and  letting  some  one  place  a  tape  round  your 
forehead  and  hold  the  ends.  If  he  pulls  you  can 
offer  no  resistance:  you  are  similarly  placed  to  a 
well-balanced  horse.  Now  lower  your  head,  bend 
your  body,  and  place  one  foot  out  behind,  and  in  this 
position  you  will  be  able  to  resist  the  man  with  the 
tape. 

More  pain  can  be  given  to  a  horse  by  the  bridle 
than  by  the  whip  or  the  spurs.  The  mucous  mem- 
brane lining  the  mouth  is  naturally  more  sensitive 
than  the  outer  hide,  and  the  bones  of  the  head  are 
more  thinly  covered  with  flesh.  A  tired  horse  in  a 
cart  will  move  into  a  trot  if  jobbed  severely  in  the 
mouth,  long  after  the  whip  has  failed  to  stimulate 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands         91 

him.  It  is  well,  therefore,  thoroughly  to  understand 
the  mechanical  laws  which  apply  to  the  movements 
of  the  animal's  head  and  neck  in  order  to  avoid 
giving  him  unnecessary  pain  by  misuse  of  the  hand. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  these  parts  of  his  anatomy 
help  him  to  preserve  his  equilibrium.  Watch  a 
horse  careering  about  a  field  at  liberty.  Before  he 
sets  off  at  either  a  trot  or  a  canter  he  throws  up  his 
head  and  neck  to  raise  his  forehand  and  free  his 
forelegs.  When  he  wishes  to  stop  he  lowers  his 
head  ^  and  neck,  and  at  full  gallop  he  always  carries 
them  out.  When  making  sudden  turns  and  starts  he 
uses  his  head  in  a  variety  of  ways  to  get  his  balance 
in  the  right  place. 

Most  students  of  Haute  Ecole  would  have  us  more 
or  less  rob  a  horse  of  this  free  movement,  and  teach 
him  to  perform  the  various  evolutions  required  of 
him  without  altering  the  position  of  his  head  and 
neck.  But  while  admitting  that  he  should  not  be 
allowed  to  what  might  be  called  "  sprawl,"  I  find  it 
difficult  to  see  eye  to  eye  with  these  gentlemen.  I 
admit  that  freedom  is  not  essential  in  the  riding- 
school,  where  the  ground  is  soft  and  even  and  the 
pace  cannot  be  great ;  but  in  the  open,  where  we  have 

*  When  properly  trained  and  mounted  he  pulls  up  on  his  hocks, 
and  keeps  his  head  up  to  get  the  Aveight  back. 


92      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

to  deal  with  rough  ground,  fences,  and  partial  ex- 
haustion, it  seems  wrong  to  deprive  the  horse  of 
the  use  of  his  balancing-pole.  Freedom  is  ab- 
solutely necessary  for  a  supreme  effort  of  any 
sort :  give  a  prize  at  a  horse  show  for  a  wide  jump 
and  the  horse  that  has  never  been  allowed  to  use  his 
neck  will  be  useless.  We  have  recently  had  illustra- 
tions of  this  at  the  Horse  Shows  at  Buenos  Ayres 
1908  and  San  Sebastian  (Spain)  1909,  where  the 
horses  that  won  the  wide  jump  had  not  been  taught 
to  carry  their  heads  in  and  their  necks  more  or  less 
permanently  arched,  but  had  on  the  contrary  always 
been  given  full  liberty  of  head  in  their  work  after 
once  being  trained. 

I  happened  to  know  two  of  the  winning  horses  at 
the  above  shows  well;  one  was  trained  at  the  Rid- 
ing Establishment  at  Woolwich  during  my  term  of 
office,  and  the  other  belonged  to  an  officer  who  was 
for  some  time  in  the  same  battery  with  me.  The 
former,  "Biddy,"  winner  of  the  ist  prize  at  San 
Sebastian  and  of  the  2nd  at  New  York  (1909)  for 
the  long  jump,  is  depicted  in  Plate  VI. 

Speaking  generally,  bad  hands  interfere  with 
the  free  movement  of  the  head  and  neck  when  once 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands        93 

the  horse  is  trained.  In  support  of  this  contention 
Marchese  Orario  Pucci,  writing  on  the  training  of 
Italian  Cavalry  Officers,  says : — "  Little  by  little  the 
conviction  has  been  arrived  at  that  the  horse  should 
be  as  free  as  possible  and  that  the  rider  should  only 
suggest  what  he  is  to  do,  and  help  him  to  do  it  in 
the  way  that  is  most  natural  to  him." 

The  law  of  self-preservation  dictates  to  the  man 
that  he  should  tighten  his  reins  when  the  horse  stum- 
bles, and  some  writers  advocate  it.  It  may  be  found 
useful  to  give  a  horse  a  job  in  the  mouth  as  a  severe 
punishment  for  carelessness,  but  from  a  mechan- 
ical point  of  view  it  is  wrong;  the  reins  should  be 
allowed  to  slip  through  the  fingers,  and  the  body 
should  be  leant  back. 

This  may  seem  to  be  a  contradiction  of  my  state- 
ments on  page  93,  but  when  examined,  I  trust 
I  can  prove  that  it  is  not  so.  The  two  cases  in- 
volve entirely  different  problems.  In  the  first  case, 
the  horse  is  balanced  and  moving  along ;  but  before 
he  increases  his  pace  he  lifts  his  head  and  neck,  be- 
cause it  is  easier  to  strike  off  at  a  trot  or  canter  after 
he  has  done  so.  In  the  second  case,  he  cannot  raise 
his  head  high  because  he  has  lost  his  balance,  and 


94      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

his  only  means  of  recovering  it  is  to  momentarily 
take  the  weight  off  his  shoulders  by  dropping  his 
head  very  low,  thus  affording  a  practical  example 
of  an  important  principle  in  mechanics.  This 
science  also  tells  us  that  action  and  reaction  are 
equal  in  opposite  directions,  so  that  the  power  em- 
ployed to  raise  the  head  through  the  reins  will  react 
through  the  seat  and  sink  the  horse's  knees.  Green- 
wood puts  this  well,  and  Whyte  Melville  says  that 
"  interference  with  a  horse's  head  often  converts 
a  severe  blunder  into  a  fall.^  " 

Before  quitting  the  subject  of  mechanics  it  will  be 
relevant  to  discuss  a  not  altogether  exploded  fallacy 
— namely,  that  the  rider  can  assist  the  horse  at  a 
fence  by  "  lifting  "  him.  If  he  forces  the  animal  to 
throw  up  his  head  and  neck  he  not  only  prevents 
him  from  seeing  where  to  take  off  at  the  fence,  but 
also  disturbs  a  poise  of  the  forequarters  which  is 
purposely  assumed  by  the  horse  to  facilitate  the 
making  of  his  best  effort.  We  can  but  steady  him, 
we  cannot  lift  him — it  is  an  obvious  impossibility. 
He  must  do  the  lifting  for  both  of  us,  so  that  the  less 


1  The  Italians  claim  to  have  proved  the  truth  of  this  by  instantane- 
ous photography. 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands       95 

we  interfere  with  him  the  better  in  jumping;  nor 
should  we  do  so  in  going  over  rough  ground. 
Should  the  reader  have  ever,  like  me,  had  the  de- 
lightful experience  of  galloping  after  a  mob  of 
horses  in  Australia,  over  ground  like  a  rabbit-war- 
ren, and  come  through  it  in  perfect  safety,  he  will 
know  how  well  a  horse  can  look  after  himself  under 
the  circumstances.  Very  little  guidance  is  necessary, 
picking  your  ground  is  impossible,  and  the  Austral- 
ian takes  care  to  warn  you  about  non-interference 
with  the  animal's  head.  I  am  told  that  the  ranch- 
men of  Western  U.  S.  A.  and  the  Argentine  w^hen 
galloping  believe  in  the  maxim  *'  the  rougher  the 
ground  the  slacker  the  rein." 

Unless  the  rider  has  shoulder-joints,  elbows,  and 
wrists  which  can  move  in  unison  like  well-oiled 
machinery,  and  unless  he  can  preserve  an  even  and 
gentle  pressure  on  the  horse's  mouth  when  neces- 
sary, he  cannot  have  good  hands.  The  upper  arms 
should  hang  easily  down  from  the  shoulders:  this 
not  only  gives  more  power  to  the  rider  than  if  the 
elbows  were  raised  and  to  the  front,  but  allows 
of  more  head-room  being  given  to  the  horse  if  he 
needs    it,    as    it   enables    the    rider   to    '*  open    his 


96      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

(a  good  example  of  this  is  seen  in  Plate  XIII), 
shoulders  "  and  shoot  out  his  arms  to  their  full 
extent,  which  is  indispensable  when  landing  over 
a  fence,  unless  the  rider  leans  very  much  forward. 
The  wrists  should  be  rounded  and  the  knuckles 
turned  towards  the  horse's  head  to  ensure  the 
maximum  of  play,  and  the  reins  should  be  held 
as  long  as  possible  without  sacrificing  control : 
on  these  points  the  instructor  must  focus  his 
attention.  If  the  pupil  has  it  in  him,  the  rest  will 
come  by  practice  in  riding  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  horses,  provided  they  are  bitted  to  suit  their 
work  and  temperament. 

One  of  the  best  judges  of  riding  in  Eng- 
land recently  told  me  that  he  always  knew 
a  horseman  by  the  length  of  his  reins,  and 
doubtless  the  novice,  from  nervousness  among 
other  causes,  is  apt  to  hold  them  too  short; 
if  the  habit  of  riding  with  short  reins  is  once 
learnt  it  is  not  easy  to  eradicate,  and  the  in- 
structor should  bear  this  in  mind.  The  Italians 
perhaps  ride  with  the  shortest  reins  in  Europe.  It 
is  in  my  opinion  wrong,  as  it  stultifies  the  move- 
ment of  the  body  from  the  hips  upwards,  thus 


o 

m 

0) 

"c 

Pi 
O 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands       97 

making  the  distribution  of  the  rider's  weight  more 
difficult. 

Many  writers  would  have  us  never  to  cease  from 
maintaining  the  gentlest  feeling  on  the  horse's 
mouth,  but  this  does  not  hold  good  for  all-round 
work.  For  polo,  as  the  Messrs.  Miller  rightly  ob- 
serve, the  pony  must  gallop  with  no  pressure  on  the 
reins.  Slight  pressure  at  the  beginning  of  a  chucker 
generally  means  marked  pressure  at  the  end  of  it. 
During  a  gallop  to  hounds  the  firmness  of  hold 
must  be  regulated  by  the  weight  of  the  rider  and 
the  nature  of  the  ground;  it  should  never  be  con- 
stant, the  horse  may  lose  his  good  mouth  and  his 
true  balance  if  we  teach  him  to  "  hang."  In  racing 
and  in  steeplechasing  parlance  the  horse  is  "  driven 
into  his  bridle,"  and  a  certain  leaning  is  necessary, 
but  when  man  and  horse  are  going  at  their  ease 
there  should  be  no  pressure  at  all. 

Phillipps's  maxim  on  hands  is  worthy  of  note. 
He  says  that  the  hand  of  the  horseman  should 
resemble  the  temper  of  a  commander — ^pleasant 
while  obeyed,  formidable  if  disobeyed. 

Raise  the  hands  and  you  raise  the  horse's  head, 
lower  them  and  he  should  lower  his.    A  great  deal 


98      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

has  been  said  and  written  about  always  keeping  the 
hands  low,  but  there  can  be  no  fixed  rule  on  the 
subject;  everything  depends  not  only  on  the  horse 
and  the  defences  his  conformation  and  idiosyn- 
crasies lead  him  most  readily  to  employ,  but  also  on 
the  pace  at  which  he  is  traveling.  Jim  Mason  al- 
ways rode  with  his  hands  high,  and  yet  according  to 
Whyte  Melville  he  had  fewer  falls  than  most  people. 
This  may  possibly  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
some  men  undoubtedly  do  not  get  full  value  out  of 
their  hands  unless  they  ride  with  them  at  a  particu- 
lar height  on  every  horse,  either  from  ineradicable 
early  habit,  or  from  some  peculiarity  which  prevents 
their  exerting  their  full  strength  and  gentleness  in 
any  other  position.  These  men  are  less  likely  to  ex- 
cel than  those  who  can  adapt  themselves  readily  to 
any  horse's  requirements. 

Ladies  perforce  ride  with  their  hands  higher  than 
men,  and  no  one  can  accuse  them  of  having  bad 
hands  as  a  sex. 

I  do  not  consider  it  altogether  fair  to  quote  the 
well-worn  saying :  "  If  you  do  not  pull  at  him  he 
will  not  pull  at  you  "  to  the  unfortunate  man  whose 
horse  is  going  a  great  deal   faster  than  he  likes. 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands       90 

Were  he  to  comply  with  your  advice,  he  would 
probably  be  run  away  with  on  the  spot.  If  his  bad 
hands  have  upset  the  animal  and  made  him  pull, 
there  is  no  remedy;  the  man  does  not  possess  the 
power  of  "  playing  "  the  horse  delicately  until  he 
submits,  and  if  the  fault  lies  with  the  horse^s  mouth 
— or  rather  with  the  riders  who  have  spoilt  it — a 
sudden  slackening  of  the  reins  will  be  rather  an  in- 
dication that  he  is  to  go  faster,  than  the  reverse. 
For  the  moment  the  man  must  "  do  the  best  he  can  " 
by  main  strength,  though  he  will  be  well  advised  to 
get  a  better  trained  or  more  temperate  horse  for  his 
future  riding.  That  *'  do  not  pull  at  him  and  he 
will  not  pull  at  you  "  has  before  now  driven  a  rider 
in  difficulties  to  exclaim,  and  with  much  reason: 
"If  only  he  had  not  pulled  at  me,  I  should  never 
have  pulled  at  him."  The  man  with  ordinary  hands 
and  knowledge  will  take  a  pull,  and  a  good  hard 
one,  but  he  will  be  careful  to  do  so  for  a  short  time 
only — perhaps  but  for  a  few  strides — and  will  relax 
the  pressure  the  instant  the  animal  gives  to  his  hand, 
were  it  only  a  little,  and  will  repeat  this  over  and 
over  again,  gradually  replacing  force  with  gentle- 
ness, until  an  understanding  has  been  arrived  at. 


100    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Cesaresco  says  that  under  certain  circumstances 
the  strength  the  horse  can  employ  against  the  pull  of 
the  hands  is  twenty  times  greater  than  the  force 
the  man  can  exert ;  whether  this  be  true  or  not  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  if  the  horse  intends  to  run  away  he 
can  do  so,  in  spite  of  any  bit,  and  the  more  severe 
this  may  be,  the  more  likely  is  trouble  to  ensue. 
Head  tells  us  of  a  runaway  horse  having  stopped 
gradually  of  his  own  accord,  in  consequence  of  the 
rupture  of  the  curb-chain,  which,  having  infuriated 
him  by  the  agony  it  had  inflicted,  had  actually 
caused  the  very  danger  it  had  been  created  to  avert. 
This  story  goes  to  corroborate  the  Duke  of  New- 
castle, who  says :  "  .  .  .  for,  certainly  sharp  Cave- 
zones,  and  cruel  Bits  hard  Curb'd,  made  horses  run 
away  heretofore,  making  them  desperate." 

It  should  not  be  necessary  to  have  both  hands  on 
the  reins  for  ordinary  riding  if  the  horse  is  going 
pleasantly  and  is  well  trained,  but  riding  with  what 
in  military  parlance  is  called  the  "  right  hand  free  " 
is  needful  whenever  it  is  required  for  holding  a 
weapon,  roj>e,  or  polo  stick,  and  before  jumping 
became  general  at  home  and  abroad  it  was  the  ac- 
cepted custom  in  peace  and  war,  excepting  perhaps 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands      lot 

for  racing".  The  cowboy  and  the  polo  player,  who 
are  obliged  to  follow  this  practice,  rely  to  a  great 
extent  when  turning  on  shifting  the  balance  of  the 
body,  and  on  the  knowledge  which  their  animals 
possess  of  the  game  that  is  going  forward.  It  is  not 
easy  for  the  polo  player  to  apply  pressure  to  a  horse's 
mouth  on  the  side  to  which  he  intends  to  turn,  if  the 
desired  movement  is  more  than  can  be  communicated 
by  turning  the  wrist.  The  indication  applied  is  gen- 
erally a  pressure  of  the  rein  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  neck.  This  means  pressure  on  the  wrong  side 
of  the  mouth  as  well,  and  is  apt,  if  too  sharply  ap- 
plied, to  bend  the  animal's  head  away  from  the  di- 
rection he  is  to  take — an  unsound  situation,  but  diffi- 
cult of  remedy.  I  have  been  told  that  in  some  parts 
of  America  cowpunchers  frequently  ride  young 
horses  with  the  reins  crossed  behind  the  bit,  so  that 
when  they  are  pressed  against  the  neck  the  pull 
comes  on  the  correct  side  of  the  mouth.  This  of 
course  means  that  if  the  horse  is  ever  to  be  ridden 
with  two  hands,  he  must  be  trained  again. 

There  is  not  sufficient  justification  for  the  stress 
some  writers  lay  on  the  manner  in  which  the  reins 
should  be  held  in  the  hand.    Go  out  hunting,  and 


102    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

you  will  see  half  a  dozen  riders  holding  their  reins 
in  half  a  dozen  different  ways;  most  of  them  being 
self-taught,  they  will  pick  them  up  without  thinking 
why  they  do  so  in  any  particular  manner,  but  some 
ways  certainly  have  advantages  over  others.  In 
the  British  Army  there  must  be  one  method  for  the 
sake  of  uniformity,  and  this  method  has  changed 
twice  in  the  last  eight  years.  As  held  at  present,  in 
one  hand,  the  reins  pass  upwards  through  the  hand 
and  form  a  cascade  of  leather  between  the  fore- 
finger and  thumb :  when  held  in  two  hands  the 
thumb  holds  the  reins  in  position. 

The  road  coachman  has  to  have  the  strongest 
possible  hold  on  the  reins  for  obvious  reasons,  and 
how  does  he  do  it?  He  grasps  the  edge  of  the  reins, 
and  his  main  hold  is  with  the  third  and  little  fingers, 
in  which  practice  can  develop  the  maximum  gripping 
power,  because  owing  to  their  having  shorter  joints 
than  the  other  fingers  there  is  no  room  for  the  reins 
to  get  turned  on  the  flat,  and  the  thumb  is  left  free. 
Many  steeplechase  jockeys  cross  their  reins,  and 
claim  that  it  saves  them  from  a  fall  if  the  horse 
pecks,  as  the  portion  of  the  reins  between  their  hands 
meets  the  withers  and  prevents  their  shooting  for- 
ward. 


The  Use  and  Misuse  of  the  Hands      103 

A  method  of  holding  the  reins  shown  me  by  Mr. 
R.  Donaldson-Hudson  is  a  good  one.  I  recommend 
it  for  beginners,  and  will  here  give  a  description  of 
it  (Plates  XIV  and  XV). 

In  one  hand  (the  left). — Place  the  little 
finger  of  the  left  hand  between  the  two  left  reins, 
the  snaffle  rein  being  uppermost  and  outermost. 
Turn  the  buckle  end  of  these  two  reins  towards  the 
horse's  head  between  the  second  and  third  fingers. 
Place  the  forefinger  of  the  left  hand  between  the 
two  right  reins,  the  snaffle  being  again  uppermost 
and  outermost. 

The  buckle  end  of  these  reins  will  naturally  pass 
through  the  palm  of  the  hand  and  join  the  other 
reins  just  above  the  left  thigh. 

For  the  right  hand,  as  above,  substituting 
"  right  "  for  **  left,"  and  vice  versa. 

To  divide  the  reins,  holding  two  in  each 
HAND. — Place  the  little  finger  of  the  unoccupied 
hand  between  the  reins,  which  are  divided  by  the 
forefinger  of  the  occupied  hand,  and  separate  the 
hands  as  far  as  required ;  the  ''  bight,"  or  buckle 
ends  of  the  reins,  passing,  in  either  hand,  towards 
the   horse's   head   between   the   second   and  third 


104    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

fingers,  and  thus  hanging  over  to  one  side  or  the 
other  of  the  withers. 

Whether  held  in  one  or  both  hands,  the  reins 
are  always  on  edge — as  in  coaching — between  the 
palm  of  the  hand  and  the  second  and  third  fingers. 
When  held  in  one  hand  only  there  is  the  further 
advantage  that  although  all  four  reins  are  held  by 
two  fingers,  the  pull  on  either  pair  is  in  opposite 
directions  through  the  hand.  Lastly,  it  leaves  the 
hand  free  to  grasp  anything  placed  between  it  and 
the  forefinger  without  relaxing  the  grasp  on  the 
reins. 


IX 

THE  USE  OF  THE  LOWER  PART  OF  THE  LEO 


IX 

THE  USB  OF  THE  LCWER  PART  OP  THE  LEG 

"  Nothing  is  more  detrimental  to  a  man's  seat,  or  more  destructive 
of  the  sensibility  of  an  horse's  sides,  than  a  continual  wriggling  un- 
pettledness  in  an  horseman's  legs.  .  .  ."  PExMBROKE. 

FT  is  in  the  use  of  this  indication  that  the  ex- 
ponent of  Haute  Ecole  and  the  ordinary  rider 
come  to  the  parting  of  the  ways.  The  former  con- 
stantly employs  the  lower  part  of  his  legs,  whereas 
the  latter  on  a  properly  trained  and  balanced  horse 
only  resorts  to  them  occasionally.  The  horse  trainer, 
on  the  contrary,  comes  more  into  line  with  the 
Haute  Ecole  rider ;  to  him  the  correct  and  frequent 
use  of  the  leg  is  everything.  We  often  hear  the 
remark  that  a  horse  is  a  perfect  ride  and  suitable 
for  a  lady;  what  does  this  mean?  Simply  that  the 
animal  is  well  trained  and  balanced,  temperate  yet 
willing,  and  therefore  does  not  require  a  pair  of 
legs  to  keep  him  in  his  bridle  and  control  his  quar- 
ters when  he  turns. 

The  leg  should  be  used  with  the  same  understand- 
107 


lo8    Modem  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

ing  as  the  hand,  and  the  well-trained  horse's  side 
should  be  as  sensitive  to  its  application  as  is  his 
mouth  to  the  bridle.  He  should  answer  to  the  touch 
and  firm  pressure  of  the  leg  as  he  should  to  the 
touch  and  firm  pressure  of  the  reins.  Practice  in 
the  first  five  exercises  already  enumerated  for  devel- 
oping the  gripping  muscles  teaches  the  pupil  from 
the  commencement  that  the  knee  should  be  im- 
movable in  riding,  and  that  the  lower  part  of  the 
leg  must  be  used,  generally  speaking,  as  an  indica- 
tion. I  qualify  this  latter  statement,  as  when  a 
horse  jumps  or  bucks  the  rider  holds  on  to  a  certain 
extent  with  the  flat  of  the  lower  part  of  the  leg  as 
well  as  with  the  knee  and  thigh,  according  to  the 
length  of  the  limb.  The  small,  fat-thighed  man 
must  perforce  use  this  hold  a  good  deal.  When  cir- 
cumstances, adverse  or  otherwise,  dictate  that  ad- 
ditional hold  in  this  way  is  necessary,  the  pressure 
should  be  applied  without  shifting  the  lower  part 
of  the  leg  to  the  rear. 

The  indications  of  the  leg  are  briefly  as  follows : 
A  pressure  of  both  legs  to  make  the  horse  move 
forward,  the  amount  of  pressure  being  regulated 
by  the  pace  desired.     One  leg  drawn  back  in  con- 


The  Use  of  the  Lower  Part  of  the  Leg    109 

junction  with  the  other  indications  either  to  make  a 
horse  move  his  quarters  in  a  requisite  direction  or 
prevent  them  from  flying  out ;  to  make  him  bend,  or 
passage  sideways.  The  pressure  of  the  leg  also 
assists  in  making  the  horse  strike  off  on  the  desired 
leg  at  a  canter,  or  change  the  leading  leg  at  the  same 
pace.  The  collecting  and  the  correct  circling  of  the 
untrained  horse  can  also  only  be  ensured  by  the 
proper  use  of  the  leg. 

Undoubtedly  a  horse  can  be  made  to  take  off 
when  going  at  a  fence  by  the  combined  use  of  the 
hand  and  leg;  a  blindfolded  horse  at  the  Netheravon 
Cavalry  School  was  recently  taught  to  jump  by  the 
pressure  of  the  legs,  and  "  Thormanby  "  tells  us 
that  a  Dr.  Minster,  of  Cheltenham,  had  a  stone- 
blind  horse  who  used  to  jump  stiles  on  the  way  to 
the  doctor's  patients ;  but  once  the  horse  is  properly 
trained  the  less  he  is  interfered  with  the  better  when 
jumping.  If  he  requires  rousing  it  should  be  done  at 
some  distance  from  the  obstacle.  Fillis  would  have 
us  support  the  horse  in  the  air,  but  he  cannot  have 
been  a  student  of  mechanics,  or  he  would  have  rec- 
ognized the  impossibility  of  this  without  at  the  same 
time  solving  the  problem  of  flight. 


no    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

The  self-taught  rider  very  generally  straightens 
his  leg  and  lets  the  lower  part  go  right  out  to  the 
front  when  landing  over  a  fence;  as  already  men- 
tioned in  the  section  on  seats,  the  most  important 
reason  why  this  should  not  be  done  is  that  straight- 
ening the  leg  causes  the  gripping  muscles  to  become 
round  instead  of  flat;  another  disadvantage  is  that 
it  makes  the  rider  liable  to  spur  the  horse  on  the 
shoulder  as  he  lands.  A  third  and  most  cogent  ar- 
gument against  the  practice,  from  the  rider's  point 
of  view,  is  that  (unless  his  leathers  are  very  long) 
if  he  happens  to  arrive  over  the  fence  with  his 
whole  weight  on  the  stirrups,  the  shock  of  landing 
w^ill  be  transmitted  from  his  feet  to  his  body,  and 
he  will  be  liable  to  fall  off. 

The  question  of  stumbling  has  been  dealt  with 
already,  and  the  evil  effects  of  interference  with  the 
horse's  mouth  explained,  but  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  a  sliarp  application  of  the  legs  can  do  anything 
but  good  to  a  tripper.  Mr.  Charles  Thompson 
gives  this  as  the  only  course  to  pursue.  He  was 
the  author  of  a  treatise  entitled  "  Rules  for  Bad 
Horsemen"  (1775),  and  naively  complained,  in 
the  "  Advertisement  of  the  Fourth  Edition,"  that 
the  title  had  spoiled  the  sale  of  the  work. 


X 

THE  VOICE  AND  THE  WHIP 


X 

THE  VOICE  AND  THE  WHIP 

«  The  voice  is  Used  three  Manner  of  Ways  :  Either  as  a  Correction, 
by  Threatening,  or  as  a  Help  to  Incourage  the  Horse  ;  or  as  a  Court- 
ship to  him  by  Flattering  of  him."  Newcastle. 
"  Formed  with  rod  alone 
its  aids  they  know 
And  stop,  and  turn,  obedient  to  the  blow." 

From  Berenger. 

^TpHE  earliest  riders,  who  made  use  of  little  or  no 
gear,  found  the  voice  and  whip  indispensable 
in  guiding  their  steeds.  According  to  Berenger,  the 
Carthaginians  chiefly  used  the  whip  for  this  pur- 
pose, giving  a  blow  on  the  near  side  of  the  head 
to  make  a  horse  turn  to  the  right  and  vice  versa, 
and  one  "  full  upon  the  gristle  of  the  nose  "  when 
he  was  required  to  stop.  Other  nations,  as  before 
stated,  directed  their  horses  by  the  voice,  a  much 
more  humane  method;  and  it  is  a  pity,  not  only 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  progressive  develop- 
ment of  the  horse's  mind,  but  also  from  that  of  its 

being  a  valuable  indication  from  the  rider,  that  the 

"3 


114    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

perfecting  of  bridles  and  of  every  form  of  adjunct 
to  riding  threw  the  voice  into  disuse  as  far  as 
Europe  was  concerned.  Like  the  movement  of  the 
man's  body,  the  voice  is  an  indication  independent 
of  the  sensitiveness  of  the  horse's  mouth  and  sides, 
and  the  animal  who  is  trained  to  come  to  you,  to 
stop,  etc.,  by  word  of  mouth  is  generally  more  useful 
than  his  uneducated  brother.  How  far  he  can  be 
made  to  understand  the  voice  is  dealt  with  in  the 
section  on  the  horse's  mind. 

It  was  "  correct  "  in  the  seventeenth  century  for 
Haute  Ecole  riders  to  carry  a  whip  in  the  full  of 
the  right  hand,  point  uppermost ;  in  this  position  it 
was  always  ready  for  immediate  use,  and  doubtless 
helped  to  keep  the  horse  up  to  the  cruel  bit  of  the 
day.  A  whip  should  be  quite  unnecessary  on  a 
trained  animal  unless  he  is  by  nature  a  slug ;  but  the 
beginner  on  a  quiet  mount  should  generally  carry 
a  whip  or  stick  of  sorts,  not  so  much  for  use  as  to 
save  him  the  hard  labor  of  trying  to  increase  the 
horse's  pace,  to  which  the  mere  sight  of  it  will  often 
contribute. 

If  the  animal  is  inclined  to  "  run  out "  on  a  par- 
ticular side,  showing  him  the  whip  on  that  side  will 


The  Voice  and  the  Whip  115 

often  make  him  jump  straight.  To  punish  a  horse 
is  by  no  means  easy,  and  will  often  betray  the 
amateur ;  the  whip  must  be  held  as  the  Haute  Ecole 
riders  of  the  eighteenth  century  held  it — in  the  full 
of  the  hand  and  point  uppermost — and  the  rider 
must  avoid  moving  in  the  saddle  when  he  strikes. 
As  in  the  ordinary  way  it  is  carried  point  down- 
wards, both  the  rider's  hands  should  be  well 
practised  in  getting  it  up  from  that  position,  which 
Is  done  by  a  manipulation  of  the  fingers. 

The  riding  whip,  or  preferably  a  thick  smooth 
cane,  is  very  useful  in  educating  a  horse,  for  teach- 
ing him  to  bend,  turn  and  change  at  a  canter,  and 
stand  still  in  a  collected  manner.  The  subject  will 
be  referred  to  again  in  the  sections  on  horse-training. 

The  cane  is  better  than  a  cutting-whip,  as  it  is 
shorter,  hits  a  horse  in  the  right  place — the  side — 
and  does  not  alarm  him  by  making  a  swishing  noise 
in  the  air. 


XI 

SPURS 


XI 

SPURS 

"I  was  up  in  half  a  minute,  but  he  never  seemed  to  stir, 
Though  I  scored  him  with  my  rowels  in  the  fall," 

Whyte  Melville. 

T>  UXTORFF,  in  describing  the  horsemen  of  an- 
cient Egypt,  says  that  the  word  "  Parash,"  or 
rider,  is  derived  from  the  Hebrew  root  to  prick  or 
spur  (Head) ;  and  Xenophon  in  his  treatise  makes 
mention  of  spurs,  but  no  frieze  or  statue  of  about 
that  period  shows  any  rider  wearing  them.  A  draw- 
ing of  a  spur  used  in  the  fifth  century,  which  is  given 
in  Berenger's  book,  depicts  a  milder  instrument  than 
those  in  use  at  the  time  of  the  Conquest,  which  were 
at  that  period,  and  for  some  time  afterwards,  most 
murderous-looking  implements.  They  were  of  three 
kinds :  one  of  them,  the  "  pryck,"  having  only  a  sin- 
gle long  point,  another  several  points  of  considerable 
size,  and  a  third  three  necks.     Happily,  nowadays 

the  use  and  not  the  abuse  of  spurs  is  more  generally 

119 


Z20    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

understood.  At  polo  rowels  are  not  allowed,  and, 
speaking  generally,  at  most  sports  and  games  that 
horses  love,  the  rider  is  better  without  them.  For 
the  slug  and  for  the  horse  that  wants  his  mind  made 
up  for  him,  sharp  spurs  are  necessary,  but  they  en- 
tail  this  disadvantage — that  when  hunting  the  rider 
is  apt  to  punish  his  mount  unintentionally,  either 
in  falling  or  by  getting  his  foot  caught  in  a  fence. 

Devotees  of  Haute  Ecole  seem  all,  or  nearly  all, 
to  have  been  very  fond  of  the  spur,  and  doubtless 
for  riding  of  this  character  it  is  useful.  Baucher, 
w^ho  is  recorded  never  to  have  ridden  outside  a 
school,  wrote  that  whether  a  horse  was  a  slug  or  hot 
tempered,  he  was  three  parts  broken  if  he  had  been 
taught  to  endure  the  spurs.  Fillis  said  that  they 
were  a  "  valuable  aid,"  and  Nolan  and  Anderson 
were  two  English  writers  who  laid  down  that  the 
young  horse  should  be  taught  to  receive  the  attack 
of  the  spur  with  calmness!  Three  at  least  of  these 
authors  were  masters  of  the  "  great  saddle,"  and 
their  opinion  excites  every  respect.  Whyte  Melville, 
a  writer  of  a  different  school,  would  have  most  of  us 
do  without  spurs,  and  he  is  right  as  long  as  we  ride 
nothing  but  well-balanced  and  willing  horses. 


Spurs  Z2X 

As  far  as  training  is  concerned,  when  the  heel 
fails  try  the  spur  without  rowels,  then  the  blunt  one, 
and  finally  the  sharp  spur;  the  common-bred  slug 
requires  the  blunt  one  very  soon.  By  following  this 
procedure  the  horse  gets  to  learn  what  is  required 
of  him  when  he  feels  the  rowel,  otherwise  he  does 
not,  and  he  may  stand  still  and  cow-kick  as  if  bitten 
by  a  fly  when  the  spur  is  applied. 


XII 

RIDING  SCHOOLS  v.  THE  OPEN 


XII 

RIDING  SCHOOLS  v.  THE  OPEN 

"  Both  are  good  at  proper  seasons,  and  either  will  do  very  well  if 
the  Riding-Master  is  good."  Pembroke. 

TTAVING  briefly  discussed  what  is  to  be  taught, 
we  may  now  consider  how  best  to  teach  it. 
Shall  the  instruction  be  commenced  in  a  riding 
school  if  one  is  available,  or  shall  it  be  in  the  open? 
Shall  the  pupil  be  given  a  saddle  with  stirrups,  or  a 
numnah  without  them?  Shall  he  begin  his  lessons 
without  reins?  In  answering  these  questions  we 
must  remember  to  aim,  above  all  things,  at  establish- 
ing confidence  in  the  beginner  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Outside  the  Army,  riding  schools  in  England  are 
few  and-  far  between,  but  an  open-air  manege  can 
soon  be  made,  and  if  it  be  only  an  oblong  marked 
out  with  flags  or  stones,  horses  soon  learn  to  follow 
the  track.  The  school  offers  great  advantages  in  the 
early  stages ;  the  pupil  can  at  once  be  treated  as  what 
he  is — a  mere  passenger — and  the  fact  that  he  is 

I2S 


126    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

within  four  walls  gives  him  confidence,  whilst  the 
horse  in  his  turn  is  quieter  and  more  amenable  to 
discipline.  In  a  minor  degree  the  same  advantages 
attach  to  the  open  manege.  The  riding  school  is 
also  better  suited  for  lessons  in  jumping  without 
reins,  because,  firstly,  the  tan  is  softer  landing  for 
the  horse,  and  therefore  more  comfortable  for  the 
man,  whether  he  remains  in  the  saddle  or  falls  ofif; 
and  secondly,  the  animal  is  under  better  control  in 
the  school  if  he  happens  to  be  of  a  very  excitable 
temperament.  Otherwise  the  performance  can  be 
carried  out  in  any  field :  I  have  experimented  with 
all  kinds  of  horses  in  the  open,  and  found  slugs  the 
only  tiresome  ones,  though  showing  them  the  whip 
w^ill  generally  make  them  energetic. 

The  use  and  abuse  of  riding  schools  has  been  well 
illustrated  in  the  British  Army.  Up  to  recent  years 
instruction  was  rarely  carried  out  in  the  open,  and 
the  whole  standard  of  riding  and  horse-training  was 
judged  by  the  performance  of  one  or  two  exercises 
called  single  and  double  rides.  These  consisted  in 
a  monotonous  sequence  of  turns  and  circles,  which, 
owing  to  constant  weekly  practice,  the  horses  per- 
formed mechanically,  without  the  volition  of  the 


Riding  Schools  v.  the  Open  127 

rider.  As  a  test  of  equitation  they  were  useless.  In 
1902  orders  were  issued  practically  forbidding  the 
use  of  the  schools  for  instruction,  presumably  to 
make  it  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  considered  a 
horseman  or  a  troop-horse  a  trained  animal  if  they 
could  only  perform  a  single  ride  within  four  walls, 
and  in  company  with  other  men  and  horses.  A  more 
reasonable  state  of  affairs  now  obtains. 

Collective  exercises  in  the  school  are  doubtless 
useful  for  trained  men,  but  they  should  be  of  a 
varied  character,  so  that  the  error  of  the  past  shall 
not  be  repeated. 

As  soon  as  a  man  has  a  firm  seat  he  must  go  out 
of  doors,  or  he  will  make  but  little  further  prog- 
ress. Within  four  walls  he  cannot  learn  the  real 
meaning  of  the  word  "  hands ;  "  for  this  freedom  for 
man  and  horse  is  required.  One  of  the  secrets  of 
training  both  of  them  being  continuous  instruction, 
a  school  is  valuable  to  ensure  it,  as  it  makes  the  in- 
structor independent  of  the  weather.  But  whilst  the 
man's  early  lessons  will  all  take  place  in  the  school, 
the  young  horse  should  only  remain  in  it  until  he 
will  move  forward  quietly.  He  can  return  to  it 
later  to  be  "  collected." 


128    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

The  ordinary  English  riding  school  is  too  nar- 
row, and  therefore  ill  fitted  for  the  instruction  of  the 
beginner,  whether  horse  or  man,  a  portion  of  whose 
early  lesons  should  consist  of  moving  on  large  cir- 
cles.    Riding  schools  abroad  are  very  much  larger. 

The  rudiments  of  postillion  and  artillery  driving 
can  be  taught  better  in  school  than  anywhere  else. 


XIII 

SADDLE  WITH  STIRBUFS  v.  NUMNAH 


XIII 

SADDLE  WITH  STIRRUPS   v.  NUMNAH 

"  They  (the  stirrups)  are  a  great  easement  to  the  rider,  by  support- 
ing the  toe,  and  prevent  the  dangling  of  the  legs.  They  are  an 
assistance,  because  the  rider  can  preserve  his  balance  with  less 
attention."  Adams. 

Op^HERE  are  two  distinct  schools  of  thought  on 
this  subject.  Up  to  1820  none  of  the  best 
authorities,  as  far  as  I  can  gather,  ever  advocated 
that  the  beginner  should  have  stirrups,  though  the 
practice  was  common  amongst  civilian  riding  mas- 
ters. The  lad  who  was  taught  with  a  view  to  going 
to  hounds  probably  commenced  his  lessons  with  stir- 
rups, but  he  learnt  under  no  recognized  teacher  of 
what  was  then  called  "  riding,"  a  term  which  no  ex- 
ponent of  Haute  Ecole  would  have  applied  to  the 
performance  of  the  hunting  man  proper.  It  was,  in 
fact,  the  distrust  and  contempt  so  long  subsisting 
between  the  two  schools  which  stultified  the  riding 
of  the  British  nation  in  the  last  century. 

Fillis  and  Baucher  (circa  1850)  shared  the  old- 
131 


132    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

time  view  on  the  subject,  whilst  Hayes  and  Dwyer, 
all-round  riders  and  authors  whom  no  man  can 
ignore,  would  both  have  us  commence  with  stirrups. 
Hayes  says :  "  In  order  to  give  the  grown-up  be- 
ginner confidence  I  would  strongly  advocate  that 
...  he  should  have  a  broad-seated  saddle  covered 
with  buckskin  and  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  ride 
at  first  with  stirrups." 

Dwyer,  of  the  Austrian  Imperial  Service,  who 
turned  out  many  fine  horsemen,  writes : — "  The  ad- 
vocates of  beginning  without  stirrups  say  you  must 
first  give  a  pupil  a  seat,  and  then,  when  he  has  ac- 
quired balance  and  a  hold  on  his  horse,  you  can  give 
him  the  additional  assistance  of  stirrups.  Now,  the 
most  difficult  thing  to  attain  is  balance,  and  the  stir- 
rup was  devised  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  ac- 
quiring and  maintaining  it ;  and  it  is,  therefore,  just 
as  reasonable  to  act  in  this  manner  as  it  would  be  to 
set  a  boy  to  learn  swimming  without  corks  and  blad- 
ders, and  when  he  learnt  to  support  himself  to  give 
him  artificial  aids." 

When  Hayes  wrote  the  passage  previously  quoted 
he  no  doubt  had  it  in  his  mind  that  a  fall  would  not 
be  such  a  set-back  to  a  boy  as  to  a  man,  his  lighter 


Saddle  with  Stirrups  v.  Numnah        133 

weight  and  softer  bones  making  the  unpleasant  ex- 
perience of  less  consequence,  and  the  effects,  as  far 
as  nerve  and  confidence  were  concerned,  of  little 
or  no  duration.  Figure-skating  is  notoriously  more 
quickly  learned  by  boys  than  by  men  for  the  same 
reason.  It  may  also  have  struck  Hayes  that  the 
anxious  parent  would  not  look  forward  with  equa- 
nimity to  the  likelihood  of  his  young  hopeful  being 
dragged. 

No  European  nation  now  adheres  to  the  rigid  rule 
of  not  allowing  a  man  stirrups  until  he  has  acquired 
a  firm  seat.  In  the  British  Army  ofificial  opinion  has 
changed  twice  on  the  subject  within  the  last  ten 
years,  and  the  instructor  is  now  allowed  to  do  as  he 
likes.  The  German  recruit  has  a  few  lessons  on  a 
blanket,  but  when  serious  instruction  commences  he 
is  given  a  saddle  with  stirrups. 

Doubtless  one  of  the  reasons  why  early  writers 
did  not  favor  stirrups  was  that  they  followed  the 
sound  rule  of  placing  the  man  in  the  saddle  as  they 
eventually  wished  him  to  appear  when  a  finished 
horseman,  and  to  do  this  the  stirrups  would  have  to 
have  been  fitted  so  long  as  to  be  practically  useless  to 
the  novice.    Fillis  admits  this,  and  goes  so  far  as  to 


134    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

say  that  no  beginner  can  keep  his  stirrups.  The  ad- 
vent of,  or  rather  the  return  to,  the  hunting  seat,  has 
done  away  with  the  necessity  for  straightening  the 
leg,  and  the  retention  of  stirrups  is  now  a  matter  of 
no  difficulty.  Another  reason  given  by  the  non- 
stirrup  school  was  that  the  leg  never  straightened 
sufficiently  if  the  pupil  was  allowed  stirrups.  At  the 
risk  of  beating  a  dead  horse  I  must  again  say  that  I 
think  their  anxiety  was  unfounded;  many  officers 
and  men  who  had  ridden  before  joining  the  Service 
learned  the  old  straight-legged  seat  quickly  enough 
in  the  riding  school,  and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that 
most  of  them — and  I  include  myself — had  been 
taught  at  home  with  stirrups. 

Hayes  and  Dwyer  advise  stirrups  to  prevent 
the  leg  from  straightening;  they  evidently  had  not 
studied  the  reliefs  in  the  British  Museum  represent- 
ing horsemen  on  Assyrian  battlefields,  or  this  view 
of  the  matter  would  not  have  caused  them  any 
anxiety,  as  there  were  no  irons  in  those  days.  The 
make  and  shape  of  the  rider  and  the  way  he  is  taught 
have  more  to  do  with  the  ultimate  height  of  his  knee 
in  the  saddle  than  any  stirrup. 

Quite  lately  I  was  discussing  the  subject  of  stir- 


Saddle  with  Stirrups  v.  Numnah        135 

rups  V.  no  stirrups  with  a  Riding  Master  who  was 
brought  up  in  the  no-stirrup  school.  He  told  me 
that  when  he  gave  private  lessons  he  always  allowed 
them,  as  he  found  that  his  pupils  left  him  if  he  did 
not.    This  brings  out  the  human  side  of  the  question. 

If  the  irons  are  dispensed  with  it  is  much  better 
to  carry  out  the  instruction  on  a  numnah :  I  have  ex- 
perimented with  both.  The  pupil  is  nearer  to  his 
horse  and  the  friction  from  contact  with  the  num- 
nah is  very  much  greater  than  is  obtainable  on  a 
stripped  saddle ;  which  has,  however,  one  advantage 
over  the  numnah  in  that  it  gives  a  firmer  hold  to 
the  hands  of  the  beginner  who  is  in  difficulties. 

If  he  is  on  a  numnah,  the  beginner,  who  naturally 
has  no  idea  of  balance,  always  keeps  himself  from 
falling  off  by  grip  and  by  the  aid  of  the  reins  if  he 
has  them:  the  former  very  soon  tires  him  to  the 
extent  of  his  having  to  be  dismounted  for  a  rest,  be- 
cause he  has  no  stirrups  to  relieve  the  strain.  Those 
pupils  who  have  not  been  previously  strengthened  by 
a  course  of  gripping  exercises  are  unable  to  main- 
tain the  correct  position  of  the  leg  for  any  length  of 
time,  and  it  soon  relapses  into  the  attitude  shown  in 
Plate  XVI,  when  muscles  which  are  almost  useless 


X36    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

to  the  good  horseman  are  being  brought  into  play. 
Those  who  have  done  the  exercise  before  beginning 
to  ride  will  tire  less  quickly,  but  even  they  are  very 
far  from  comfortable  with  so  little  idea  of  balance. 
I  have  tried  to  give  the  beginner  confidence  and  les- 
sen his  fatigue  by  the  use  of  a  roller-pad  with  han- 
dles, placed  over  the  numnah,  but  it  does  not  answer 
for  the  following  reasons.  The  rider  works  for- 
ward on  to  the  pad  and  is  liable  to  become  galled. 
If  the  horse  checks,  and  he  grasps  the  handles,  the 
upper  part  of  the  body  pitches  forward,  as  illustrated 
in  Fig.  2,  and  when  jumping  begins  he  is  apt  to  rely 
on  his  hands  alone  and  instinctively  to  loosen  the 
grip  on  his  legs.  I  would  by  no  means  recommend 
holding  on  at  all  with  the  arms,  but  if  it  must  be 
done  let  the  hold  be  at  the  back  of  the  seat  for  any- 
thing but  jumping,^  which  will  more  or  less  preserve 
the  balance  of  the  bodyy,  the  forward  movement  of 
the  shoulders  being  at  once  checked.  It  will  also  be 
found  easier  to  pull  than  to  push  in  this  particular 


1  In  jumping  the  body  must  always  be  on  the  forward  side  of 
the  perpendicular,  therefore  it  is  best  to  hold  on  by  the  mane  if 
at  all.  The  Italians  recommend  this.  The  system  of  teaching 
I  shall  advocate  makes  holding  on  by  the  hands  absolutely  un- 
necessary. 


Saddle  with  Stirrups  v.  Numnah        137 

instance;  let  the  reader  sit  loosely  on  a  horse  and 
try  it. 

The  advantages  derived  from  beginning  with  stir- 
rups are  as  follows.    The  comparative  comfort  and 


Fig.  2. — Holding  on  by  the  leaping-pad. 

security  of  the  pupil  are  assured  from  the  first,  and 
fatigue  much  reduced;  if  he  is  riding  with  reins  he 
is  not  so  likely  to  depend  on  them  when  in  difficulties, 


138    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

and  acquires  the  valuable  habit  of  leaning  inwards 
without  risk  of  a  fall  when  the  horse  turns.  Fur- 
thermore, the  beginner  can  rise  to  the  trot,  and  thus 
avoid  the  discomfort  of  continual  bumping.  Later 
on,  riding  without  stirrups  can  be  given  in  gradu- 
ally increased  doses.  I  have  never  experienced  the 
slightest  difficulty  in  getting  a  pupil  well  down  into 
his  seat  with  this  system  of  instruction,  even  when 
the  saddle  has  been  a  high  arched  one.  Falls,  how- 
ever, cannot  be  avoided  when  side-balance  is  lost 
beyond  a  certain  point :  when  this  occurs,  the  man's 
leg  flies  out  and  he  comes  off.  What  might,  on  the 
other  hand,  be  called  fore-and-aft  balance,  or  the 
balance  applied  by  the  rider  in  jumping,  receives  but 
little  assistance  from  the  stirrups,  which  are  free  to 
swing  backwards  and  forwards.  With  a  careful  in- 
structor the  risk  of  dragging  is  so  small  as  to  be 
hardly  worth  considering,  but  safety  stirrups  are,  of 
course,  a  good  thing  if  available. 

Some  of  the  early-pattern  irons  had  a  swivel  at 
the  top  of  the  arch,  on  which  they  revolved,  making 
them  always  handy  to  the  rider's  foot.  This  form  of 
stirrup  was  doubtless  given  up  as  unsuitable  for  rid- 
ing with  the  foot  home,  as  when  in  use  the  flat  of 


Saddle  with  Stirrups  v.  Numnah         139 

the  leather  did  not  necessarily  come  against  the 
rider's  boot,  and  it  gradually  went  out  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  eighteenth  century.  Some  writers  place 
but  little  value  on  the  stirrup  as  a  help  under  adverse 
circumstances,  Adams  going  so  far  as  to  say  it  is 
useless.  Few  experienced  riders  will  agree  with 
this ;  on  a  bad  puller,  for  example,  the  action  of  the 
arms  must  be  weaker  without  stirrups,  as  the  base  is 
weaker.  This  point  is  clearly  brought  out  by 
Cesaresco. 


XIV 

REINS  V.  NO  REINS 


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1^4 

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XIV 

REINS  V.  NO  REINS 

"  All  riders  think  they  hold  their  horses,    but  most  hold   them- 
selves." Count  E.  Martinengo  Cesaresco. 

"  Bad  riders  use  the  reins  as  a  means  of  balancing  themselves  in 
the  saddle,  and  this  is  especially  done  in  the  hunting  field." 

Walsh. 

"^"11  7HEN  it  was  that    reins  came   into  use  is  not 

very  clear;  some  recent  researches  of  M. 

Edouard   Piette's   amongst   prehistoric   remains   in 

France  have  brought  to  light  carvings  on  bone  of 

the    Glyptic    Age,    which    undoubtedly    represent 

bridled  horses,  although  the  rudeness  of  the  design 

leaves  us  in  some  doubt  as  to  whether  the  reins  were 

attached  to  a  nose-band,  or  if  what  was  probably  a 

leather  thong  passed  through  the  horse's  mouth,  and 

formed  a  make-shift  bridle.    Be  this  as  it  may,  when 

we  come  to  historical  times  we  have  proof  that  it 

was   comparatively  late   before   the   use    of  reins 

became  general;  the  inhabitants  of  Numidia  and 

Mauritania,  and,  according  to  Berenger,  of  ''  Nasa- 

143 


144    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

monia,  Massilia,  and  other  adjacent  tracts  of  the 
same  region,"  rode  without  reins  in  peace  and  war. 
Livy  the  historian  (born  59  b.  c.)  divides  cavalry 
into  those  with  and  those  without  the  bridle,  the 
former  being  heavy  horsemen. 

Bridles  are  now  used  with  more  understanding 
than  they  have  ever  been.  The  "  lupus  "  snaffle  of 
the  Romans,  made  in  imitation  of  the  teeth  of  a  wolf, 
and  the  long-cheeked  cruel  bit  of  a  later  date,  are 
things  of  the  past;  they  necessitated  barbarous  meth- 
ods of  horse  training  and  riding.  The  introduc- 
tion of  reins  is,  however,  responsible  for  the  want  of 
perfect  balance  in  many  horsemen  who  have  never 
ridden  without  them.  As  Air.  Tozer  has  recently 
told  us,  some  of  the  early  instructors  deliberately 
advised  novices  to  catch  hold  of  the  reins  tightly  in 
order  to  keep  their  seat  with  greater  ease.  I  think 
these  gentlemen  performed  a  work  of  supererogation 
in  doing  so,  as  the  novice  needs  no  telling  to  hold  on 
by  the  reins  the  moment  he  gets  into  difficulties ;  the 
most  elementary  laws  of  self-preservation  direct 
that  he  should. 

All  teachers  advocate  quitting  stirrups  at  some 
stage,  at  least,  of  the  course,  in  order  to  hasten  the 


Reins  v.  No  Reins  145 

acquisition  of  a  firm  seat,  and  those  who  do  not  re- 
commend that  reins  should  also  be  dispensed  with 
forget  the  obvious  fact  that  they  are  nearly  as  much 
support  to  the  pupil  as  the  stirrup,  perhaps  more  so, 
and  that  if  they  are  retained  throughout  the  course 
the  instructor  is  defeating  his  own  ends.  It  would 
be  just  as  reasonable  to  deprive  the  man  of  his  reins 
and  allow  him  to  keep  his  stirrups  the  whole  time; 
the  results  would — all  things  being  equal — be 
superior. 

Balance  is  harder  to  learn  if  a  convulsive  grasp 
of  the  reins  prevents  a  man's  body  from  following 
the  movements  of  his  mount,  besides  which  it  is  un- 
fair on  a  beginner  to  expect  him  to  control  a  horse 
before  he  has  a  firm  seat :  it  is  asking  him  to  attempt 
too  much.  In  the  initial  stages  of  jumping  the  reins 
may  save  a  fall,  but  they  often  produce  one  by  pull- 
ing the  rider  out  of  the  saddle.  In  experienced 
hands  they  encourage  the  horse  to  jump;  in  bad  and 
inexperienced  ones  they  make  rushers  and  refusers. 
Again,  purely  from  the  animal's  side  of  the  question, 
he  is  put  to  considerable  pain  in  having  his  mouth 
pulled  about;  he  becomes  an  uncertain  jumper,  and 
useless  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  a  future  rider 


146    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

the  meaning  of  *'  hands."  A  horse  will  last  longer 
and  be  a  better  stayer  if  he  has  not  to  use  his  head 
to  support  his  rider;  he  wants  it  for  other  things, 
and  comfort  and  peace  are  as  necessary  to  him  as  to 
a  man. 

I  do  not  wish  to  imply  that  correct  balance  is  im- 
possible unless  a  man  has  learnt  to  ride  without 
reins;  there  are  many  fine  horsemen  to-day  who 
have  never  ridden  without  either  reins  or  stirrups 
in  their  lives,  but  they  are  exceptional  men,  and 
would  have  attained  perfection  all  the  sooner  had 
their  early  training  been  without  reins.  I  have  seen 
other  men,  reputed  to  be  good  riders,  who  fell  off 
when  asked  to  jump  a  small  hurdle  without  them, 
thereby  showing  that  they  had  never  acquired  cor- 
rect balance.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  in 
making  an  all-round  horseman  it  is  very  much 
quicker  to  begin  without  reins  at  once  than  to  wait 
until  the  rider's  education  is  almost  complete. 
Hayes  rightly  says  that  holding  on  by  them  is  a  most 
difficult  fault  to  eradicate  if  once  learnt. 

At  the  French  Horse  Show  of  1865  ^^  the 
Champs  Elysees,  the  Saumur  pupils  gave  a  wonder- 
ful display  of  Haute  Ecole  riding  and  other  feats, 


Reins  v.  No  Reins  147 

the  least  successful  of  which  was  jumping  a  low 
hurdle  (Thormanby).  Later  on,  officers  on  the 
Continent  began  organizing  jumping  competitions 
and  steeplechases,  and  as  the  outcome  of  their  ex- 
perience declared  that  the  best  and  most  scientific 
method  of  instruction  in  riding  was  to  commence 
without  reins.  Jumping  had  taught  them  that  more 
freedom  of  movement  for  horse  and  man  was  neces- 
sary, and  that  this  was  the  way  to  attain  it.  We 
Englishmen  alone  lagged  behind,  though  since  1907 
the  custom  has  been  gradually  gaining  ground. 
In  our  Army,  instead  of  following  the  advice  and 
benefiting  by  the  experience  of  our  own  writers  on 
the  subject,  we  have  waited  for  Europe  to  show  us 
the  best  way. 

M.  Bourgelat,  writing  in  1744,  remarked  that 
riding  with  the  end  of  the  rein  in  the  right  hand 
might  be  practised  with  great  caution  on  a  well 
"  dressed "  horse,  and  that  it  gave  "  prodigious 
grace  to  the  horseman  " ;  but  care  should  be  taken 
to  "counterbalance"  by  leaning  the  body  back! 
Berenger  recommended  instruction  without  reins, 
Pembroke  also,  but  only  for  "  unfeeling  fellows," 
and  Adams  prescribed  it  for  those  who  did  not 


148    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

benefit  from  repeated  "  explanation  and  admoni- 
tion." At  a  later  date  we  have  writers  with  more 
decided  opinions ;  Whyte  Melville,  Walsh  ( for  some 
time  editor  of  the  Field),  Rarey,  Hayes,  and  Dwyer: 
all  are  strong  on  the  point  of  allowing  no  man  to 
jump  a  horse  with  reins  unless  he  can  do  so  without. 
Whyte  Melville  says  that  "  the  boy  should  never  be 
trusted  with  a  bridle  until  it  is  perfectly  immaterial 
to  him  whether  he  has  hold  of  it  or  not." 

To  carry  out  the  practice  in  Austria  they  kept 
the  pupil  on  the  longe,  but  this  is  quite  un- 
necessary where  there  is  more  than  one  rider,  as 
horses  will  always  follow  a  leader  in  the  riding 
school  or  manege;  it  is  only  needful  that  the  first 
horse  should  be  ridden  with  reins.  If  the  horses  are 
at  all  unruly,  first  the  odd  numbers  of  the  ride  can 
drop  their  reins  and  then  the  even  numbers.  If  the 
child  beginner  is  nervous  at  first,  he  can  go  on  the 
leading-rein,  and  he  may  with  advantage  be  given 
a  pair  of  ladies'  safety  irons  to  ride  in. 

It  is  very  hard  on  the  beginner  to  deprive  him  of 
all  means  of  support  when  first  mounted,  and  I  con- 
sider it  unsound  even  if  time  is  no  object.  I  there- 
fore strongly  advocate  commencing  with  stirrups, 
and  only  very  occasionally  allowing  the  pupil  reins. 


XV 

AN  IMPROVED  METHOD 


XV 

AN  IMPROVED  METHOD 


"  All  that  our  fathers  taught  us  of  old  pleases  us  now  no  more." 

Kipling. 


T  PROPOSE  in  this  chapter  to  describe  all  that  my 
experience  has  led  me  to  consider  essential  in 
teaching  a  man  the  elements  of  riding-,  with  special 
attention  to  those  points  which  are  most  often  mis- 
understood by  instructors.  Without  claiming  that 
the  following  system  as  a  whole  is  an  original  one,  I 
submit  that  in  three  important  particulars,  viz.,  the 
preliminary  gripping  exercises,  the  successful  use 
of  the  strap  joining  the  stirrups,  and  the  early  and 
constant  jumping  without  reins,  it  introduces  new 
features  of  great  value  to  teachers  of  equitation. 
It  aims  at  inspiring  confidence  in  the  pupil  by 
making  falling  off  as  difficult  as  possible;  at  the 
rapid  acquisition  of  that  bedrock  of  good  horse- 
manship— a  firm  and  well-balanced  seat,  which  is  the 
only  foundation  of  good  hands;  and  at  the  easy 

suppleness  of  body  which  marks  the  proficient, 

IS" 


152    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 
Preliminary  Exercises. 

"  In  all  labor  there  is  profit."     Proverbs  xiv.  v.  23. 

The  gripping  exercises  for  beginning  to  de- 
velop those  muscles  which  are  used  in  riding  have 
already  received  mention :  I  will  merely  state  here 
that  they  are  invaluable  as  a  preparation  for  riding 
proper  and  save  a  good  deal  of  time,  as  the  novice 
who  has  undergone  them  is  physically  able  to  apply 
his  legs  to  his  horse  to  keep  his  seat,  and  is  fitted 
to  undergo  the  fatigue  of  his  lessons. 

The  Strap  ^ 

"  Press  not  the  falling  man  too  far !  " — Shakespeare  {Henry  VIII.) 

If  rapid  progress  is  to  be  made  the  pupil  must 
feel  as  comfortable  as  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  be  given  confidence  by  avoidance  of 
falls.  A  saddle  covered  with  buckskin  increases  the 
friction  between  the  leg  and  the  flap,  and  if  such  a 
saddle  is  available  the  instructor  should  make  use 
of  it.  The  French  have  a  saddle  not  unlike  the 
Australian  buck-jumping  one,  into  which  they  force 

'  This  appliance  was  suggested  to  me  by  Colonel  Charles  Long, 
late  R.H.A. 


An  Improved  Method 


153 


the  man  without  any  reference  to  his  make  and 
shape,  in  order  to  get  his  leg  into  the  correct  posi- 
tion. In  a  minor  degree,  tying 
the  stirrups  together  (Figs.  3 
and  4),  has  a  similar  effect,  but 
this  is  the  smallest  of  the  bene- 
fits derived  from  the  use  of  this 
contrivance,  w^hich  is  of  the 
greatest  value.  Its  chief  ad- 
vantage is  that  it  makes  fall- 
ing off  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances extremely  difficult;  the 
leg  cannot  fly  out  very  far  from 
the  saddle  in  any  direction,  so 
that  if  balance  is  lost  it  can  be 
regained  at  once  v^ithout  a  fall, 
w^hilst  if  the  pupil  flies  up  into 
the  air  his  feet  meet  the  arch  of 
the  stirrup-iron  and  he  drops 
back  into  his  seat.  fig.  3— the  stirrups 

Now,    when    a   man    falls    his       (With  a  long-legged  man 

the  strap  can   be  passed 

frame  becomes  rigid,  and  that   through  a  nmner  on  the 

girth.) 

IS  why  he  so  easily  breaks  his 

bones :  it  therefore  follows  that,  when  he  thinks  he  is 


154    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

going  to  fall,  he  stiffens  himself  all  over,  and  thereby 
loses  all  chance  of  keeping  his  balance.  With  a 
short  experience  of  the  strap  comes  confidence,  and 
the  pupil  allows  his  muscles  to  relax.  The  impor- 
tance of  this  result  cannot  be  exaggerated.  Asshe- 
ton  Smith's  famous  maxim  that  no  man  can  be 
called  a  horseman  until  he  knows  how  to  fall  is 
hardly  one  for  a  beginner. 

During  instruction  in  jumping  this  strap  is  more 
than  useful,  as  the  confidence  it  gives  the  pupil 
enables  him  to  center  his  attention  on  the  instructor 
and  attend  to  his  directions.  After  his  first  few 
jumps  he  loses  his  nervousness  and  begins  to  take 
pleasure  in  the  exercise.  It  is  now  possible  to  give 
him  early  and  continual  practice  in  jumping  low 
obstacles  without  danger  of  over-fatigue,  which  is 
the  real  secret  of  getting  a  man  quickly  settled  into 
his  saddle,  and  is  the  best  of  lessons  in  balance. 

In  France  they  train  horses  to  rear  and  kick  at 
the  bidding  of  the  instructor.  The  horse,  who  is 
called  a  "  sauteur,"  is  tied  by  the  head  between  two 
padded  "  piliers,"  and  the  pupils  mount,  in  turn,  at 
the  end  of  the  lesson.  The  object  of  this  is  to  teach 
the  man  to  adjust  his  body  to  the  fore-and-aft  move- 
ment of  the  horse :  side-balance  does  not,  of  course, 
Qome  into  play  because  of  the  horse  not  advancing. 


An  Improved  Method  155 

Constant  jumping,  which  is  impossible  in  the  earlier 
stages  without  the  strap,  will  answer  the  purpose 
and  is  of  greater  benefit  to  the  pupil:  it  is  more 
practical  and  does  not  require  a  specially  trained 
animal.  The  sauteur  is,  however,  doubtless  most 
useful  to  the  *'  Ecuyer,"  for  practising  the  "  cour- 
bettes,"  "  cabrioles,"  and  "  croupades,"  he  has  to 
perform  daily  on  his  own  horse.  At  the  Fort  Riley 
Mounted  Service  School  (Kansas)  the  sauteur  is 
used  for  the  practical  purpose  of  teaching  the  pupil 
how  to  sit  a  buck- jumper. 

The  strap  further  makes  it  difficult  for  the  novice 
to  lose  his  stirrups,  besides  enabling  him  to  retake 
them  quickly  after  he  has  been  riding  without  them 
by  order  of  the  instructor. 

During  over  five  years'  experience  of  this  con- 
trivance with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  and 
horses,  I  have  never  seen  a  case  of  dragging.  On 
one  occasion,  indeed,  I  caused  an  officer's  foot  to  be 
made  fast  in  the  stirrup  and  had  him  dragged  for 
experimental  purposes,  and  it  did  not  appear  that 
the  strap  joining  the  stirrups  increased  the  danger. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  with  stirrups  tied  together  it  is 
impossible  to  get  dragged  if  hung  up  in  the  stirrup 
on  the  opposite  side  to  which  the  fall  occurs — a 
common  cause  of  accidents.     Care  must,  however. 


X56    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

be  taken  that  the  strap  is  properly  fitted.  If 
too  tight,  the  man's  knee  is  brought  away  from 
the  saddle  and  its  purpose  is  defeated.  If  too  loose, 
it  of  course  does  not  come  into  play  as  soon  as  it 
might  and  there  is  a  danger  of  the  horse  getting  his 
hind-legs  through  it  when  jumping. 

This  contrivance  should  not  be  used  after  the 
initial  stages  of  jumping.  If  the  fence  is  big  the 
animal  is  more  liable  to  fall,  when  the  pupil  may 
share  the  fate  which  sometimes  befalls  the  accom- 
plished horseman  and  get  mixed  up  with  his  horse 
on  the  ground. 

It  is  incidentally  worth  noting  that  the  strap  is 
useful  to  anyone  who  has  the  misfortune  to  have 
to  ride  a  bad  buck- jumper,  and  I  have  been  informed 
that  it  is  not  unknown  to  the  cowboy.  In  our 
Colonies  a  rope  is  sometimes  placed  round  the 
saddle  and  made  fast  over  the  rider's  thighs  in 
order  to  secure  his  seat. 

Jumping 

"  I  told  him,  If  you  will  but  Sit  Still,  I  warrant  you  the  Horse  will 
go  Well  with  you,  Btit  a  Man  (said  he,  with  a  great  Oath)  cannot  Sit 
Still.  Which  was  said  Knowingly,  and  like  a  Horse-Man ;  for,  to 
Sit  Still  belongs  only  to  a  Gnat  Master"  Newcastle. 

'•  Do  not  be  sure  that  you  have  a  firm  seat  until  you  have  tried  the 
experiment  of  sitting  a  leap  with  nothing  to  hold  on  by." 

Whyte  Melville. 

Jumping  without  reins  for  the  comparative  begin- 


An  Improved  Method 


157 


ner  is  almost  a  new  practice  as  far  as  England  is 
concerned.  I  will  therefore  enter  somewhat  fully 
into  the  best  method  of  carrying  it  out. 

It  is  quite  possible  to  allow  your  pupils  to  begin 
jumping   low   obstacles   at    their   eighth   or   ninth 
lesson,     provided     they     have     been 
through  the  preliminary  gripping  ex- 
ercises and  are  riding  with  the  strap 
joining  the  stirrups  (Fig.  4). 

A  small  log  of  wood  or  a  hurdle 
laid  flat  will  do  to  commence  with, 
after  which  three  or  four  movable 
hurdles  similar  to  those  shown  in  Fig. 
5  will  be  required:  they  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  upsetting  if  the  horse 
strikes  them.  They  should  be  about 
two  feet  high  when  topped  with  gorse 
or  brushwood;  the  double  rails  allow 
of  the  furze  being  replaced  when 
worn,  and  as  these  fences  are  not 
fixtures  they  can  be  taken  out  of  the 
training  ground  when  not  in  use.  They  may  be 
raised  when  necessary  by  means  of  wooden  blocks ; 
but  for  obvious  reasons  it  is  essential  to  have  them 


FIG.   4. 
THE   STRAP. 


158    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

low  at  first.  If  the  jump  is  fairly  long  the  in- 
structor will  soon  find  wings  unnecessary:  I  shall 
have  more  to  say  on  this  subject  in  the  section 
devoted  to  horse-training.  It  will,  however,  not 
be  out  of  place  here  to  mention  that  there  is  very 
little  refusing  where  horses  are  jumped  without 
reins.  Animals  that  have  been  accustomed  to  sup- 
porting their  riders  by  the  reins  will  rush  a  little 
at  first,  but  on  recovering  from  their  astonishment 
at  finding  that  the  exercise  no  longer  involves  a 
severe  jerk  in  the  mouth,  they  will — unless  they 
are  very  stale — neither  refuse  nor  rush,  especially 
if  they  are  fed  after  the  first  fence  or  two. 

If  only  one  pupil  is  under  instruction,  let  him  be 
longed  over  on  a  single  rein,  when  a  man  on  either 
side  should  run  along  with  the  horse  after  the  jump, 
to  avoid  bringing  him  round  on  the  curve  after  land- 
ing, which  would  increase  the  rider's  difificulties. 

With  a  ride  of  several  pupils,  and  with  fairly 
handy  horses,  a  jump  can  be  put  at  each  side  of  the 
school,  and  the  horses  allowed  to  go  round  over 
them  in  single  file  at  suitable  intervals ;  but  in  an 
out-door  manege,  where  the  restraining  effect  of 
the  four  walls  is  absent,  it  is  easier  to  put  the  jumps 


An  Improved  Method  159 

in  the  center  and  send  the  horses  over  them  one  by- 
one.  If  the  leader  pulls  up  when  he  gets  to  the  other 
side,  it  will  be  found  that  the  other  horses  will  go  to 
him  and  stop  of  their  own  accord.  An  even  better 
plan,  if  a  spare  horse  is  available,  is  to  hobble  him 
a  little  way  from  the  fence  on  the  landing  side,  and 
allow  the  other  horses  to  collect  round  him.  Al- 
though at  this  stage  of  the  course  the  actual  jump- 
ing is  to  take  place  without  reins,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary that  the  pupil  should  pick  them  up  both  before 
and  after  jumping;  dropping  them  as  soon  as  the 
horse  has  got  his  head  straight  at  the  fence,  and 
taking  them  up  again  after  landing  in  order  to 
steady  the  animal. 

When  riding  at  the  log  or  the  hurdle  laid  flat  the 
trot  will  be  a  fast  enough  pace,  but  when  the  pupil 
is  able  to  jump  higher  obstacles  a  steady  canter  will 
be  easiest  for  both  man  and  horse. 

There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whether 
it  is  sufficient  for  the  pupil  to  hold  the  end  of  the 
rein  in  the  palm  of  the  hand,  let  out  to  the  full  ex- 
tent, or  if  he  should  drop  it  altogether  and  fold  his 
arms.  The  first  method  certainly  removes  the  pos- 
sibility of  the  rein  coming  over  the  horse's  head  on 


i6o    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

landing,  and  it  is  not  so  unnerving  to  the  novice,  but 
it  does  not  afford  the  same  lesson  in  balance,  as  it 
gives  some  support  to  the  rider.  As  a  rule  any 
horse  will  pull  up  when  he  gets  his  foot  through 
the  reins,  and  if  not  he  can  be  trained  to  do  so. 
The  advantages  of  folding  the  arms  in  front  of 
the  body  are,  that  it  is  left  perfectly  free  to  conform 
to  the  movements  of  the  horse,  and  that  the  arms 
cannot  be  used  to  maintain  balance.  It  incidentally 
develops  the  pupil's  nerve  and  teaches  him  to  keep 
his  arms  and  hands  quiet.  It  is  therefore  best  to  be- 
gin with  the  end  of  the  rein  held  in  the  full  of  the 
hand,  and  to  pass  on  quickly  to  practice  with  arms 
folded. 

As  to  what  instructions  the  pupil  should  be  given, 
let  him  be  told  to  grip  tightly  with  his  knees  and 
thighs,  and  to  lean  forward  when  going  at  the 
fence;  if  he  is  successful  in  this  the  body  will 
soon  swing  in  harmony  with  the  horse.  It  will  be 
found  that  most  beginners  are  inclined  to  lean  back 
when  the  horse  takes  off. 

When  the  pupil  can  sit  over  a  small  obstacle 
without  reins  and  stirrups  he  should  be  made  to 
jump  the  same  thing  with  the  reins  before  being 


i6i 


162    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

asked  to  negotiate  anything  higher.  This  takes 
longer  than  any  inexperienced  person  would  sup- 
pose, thereby  showing  how  difficult  it  is  to  regulate 
the  actions  of  the  arms,  shoulders,  and  hands,  even 


Fig.  6. — The  beginner's  arms  correctly  placed  when  landing. 

when  the  seat  is  comparatively  firm.    To  make  sure 
that  the  horse  w^ill  have  as  much  room  as  possible 

on  landing,  and  that  his  rider  will  not  be  pulled 

out  of  the  saddle,  his  arms  and  hands  should  be 


An  Improved  Method  l6i 

correctly  placed  as  in  Fig.  5  each  time  he  is  about 
to  ride  at  the  fence.  The  importance  of  this  precau- 
tion cannot  be  exaggerated,  and  never  seems  to  be 
properly  recognized  by  the  pupil.  The  evils  arising 
from  its  neglect  are  illustrated  in  Figs.  7  and  8. 
The  position  of  the  body  is  not  quite  forward 
enough  in  Figs.  5  and  6,  which  are  only  intended  to 
illustrate  the  position  of  the  arms. 

It  will  also  be  found  that  when  he  is  jumping,  the 
novice's  shoulders  do  not  open,  nor  his  hands  drop 
downwards  and  forwards  as  they  should  do  when 
the  horse  is  descending.  Experience  has  taught 
me  that  the  quickest  and  best  way  to  put  this  right 
is  to  tell  the  pupil  to  let  the  reins  slip  through  his 
fingers  as  he  extends  his  arms  when  the  horse  is  in 
the  air,  however  small  the  obstacle.  By  doing  this, 
his  seat  will  not  be  interfered  with,  and  those 
wooden  movements  of  the  arms  and  wrists  which 
are  so  easily  acquired  and  so  hard  to  lose  willl  be 
avoided.  I  am  told  that  the  Ecuyers  at  Saumur 
very  generally  follow  this  custom  of  letting  the 
reins  slip  when  the  horse  is  on  the  downward  plane. 
Some  of  those  jockeys  who  do  not  land  over  a  fence 
leaning  forward,  give  extra  head-room  to  the  horse 


i64 


An  improved  Method  165 

by  taking  one  hand  off  the  reins  and  slewing  the 
free  shoulder  backwards  (Plate  XVIII),  thus  allow* 
ing  the  other  shoulder  and  arm  to  advance  consid- 


FiG.  8. — Result  of  holding  the  reins  too  short. 

erably  farther  to  the  front  than  would  be  possible 

with  the  shoulders  square.     It  would  not  surprise 
me  to  be  told  that  some  of  these  gentlemen  were 


l66    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

unaware  that  this  was  their  practice,  but  the  on- 
looker sees  most  of  the  game,  especially  when  ac- 
companied by  a  camera. 

Some  horses  undoubtedly  require  more  head- 
room, if  the  jump  is  a  high  one,  than  a  man  can  give 
them  without  leaning  too  far  forward  on  landing, 
and  some  men  are  so  short  in  the  arms  that  they  are 
physically  incapable  of  giving  a  horse  enough  free- 
dom without  letting  the  reins  slip,  or  by  taking  one 
hand  ofif  the  reins  and  bringing  the  opposite  shoulder 
forward. 

After  a  certain  amount  of  practice  over  one  jump, 
a  second  one  should  be  placed  at  a  distance  of  about 
five  yards  from  it,  and  the  man  taught  to  negotiate 
this  in-and-out.  Phillips  mentions  this  as  being  an 
admirable  lesson  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  firm 
seat  for  riding  kickers,  but  his  directions  as  to  how 
to  poise  the  body  during  the  process  would  lead 
to  disaster.  He  recommends  that  the  single  jump 
should  be  a  standing  one — the  hardest  of  all  for 
beginners — and  advises  the  man  to  lean  back  as  the 
horse  takes  off. 

Half  an  hour's  jumping  a  day  will  not  be  too 
much  for  the  novice  after  his  tenth  lesson ;  it  is  but 
a  small  effort  to  the  horse  over  low  obstacles. 


An  Improved  Method  167 

HINTS  TO  INSTRUCTORS 

**  He  that  is  soon  angry  dealeth  foolishly." 

Proverbs  xiv,  v.  17. 
"  He  that  regardeth  reproof  is  prudent." 

Proverbs  xv,  v.  5. 

To  make  any  system  of  teaching  riding  a  success, 
we  require  a  trained  horse  of  a  temperate  disposi- 
tion. If  he  is  riding  a  slug,  the  pupil  should  carry 
a  whip;  remember  that  he  does  not  know  how,  and 
therefore  cannot  use  his  legs,  and  will  only  tire  him- 
self in  the  attempt  to  do  so.  The  accepted  meaning 
of  the  word  '*  trained  "  will  be  given  later,  I  do  not 
wish  to  imply  that  such  a  horse  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary ;  a  man  can  learn  to  sit  on  any  animal  that  will 
not  run  away. 

The  instructor  should  first  of  all  be  a  horseman 
himself,  although  there  is  no  greater  fallacy  than  the 
common  idea,  prevalent  only  in  England  and  her 
colonies,  that  because  a  man  can  ride  he  can  teach 
others  to  do  so.  He  should  know  what  he  is  at,  and 
have  an  encouraging  and  sympathetic  disposition. 
The  teacher  of  riding  must  remember  that  nerve 
grows  best  out  of  confidence,  and  that  before  now 
pluck  has  been  killed  by  avoidable  accidents.     He 


x68    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

should  work  chiefly  by  demonstration,  and  explain 
the  meaning  of  his  instructions  as  he  goes  along.  It 
is  much  easier  to  ride  up  to  a  man  and  show  him 
how  to  sit  or  how  to  handle  the  horse  than  merely  to 
tell  him  how  to  do  so,  and  he  will  be  far  more  likely 
to  remember  it;  he  will  also  try  twice  as  hard  to 
place  himself  correctly  if  he  understands  what  he 
is  being  asked  to  perform. 

The  instructor  should  never  shout;  it  affects  the 
horse  adversely  as  well  as  the  man,  and  he  must  al- 
ways keep  his  temper.  Shouting  at  a  horse  is  a 
sign  of  weakness  in  either  a  rider  or  a  trainer  of 
young  horses. 

The  pupil  should  have  well-fitting  breeches,  so 
that  he  may  not  get  rubbed  or  galled,  and  his  boots 
should  be  supple  and  smooth  in  the  sole  and  have 
a  long,  flat  heel,  for  it  has  often  happened  that  men 
have  been  hung  up  in  the  stirrup  because  their  boots 
lacked  these  qualities.  Rising  to  the  trot  is  uncom- 
fortable in  thick  boots  if  the  ball  of  the  foot  is  on 
the  iron. 

Let  the  beginner  saddle  and  bridle  his  own  mount ; 
this  is  the  most  practical  w^ay  of  teaching  him  how 
the  gear  should  fit.     The  bridle  should  be  a  single- 


An  Improved  Method  169 

reined,  thick,  smooth  snaffle.  When  the  reins  are  in 
use  they  should  be  held  long,  and  one  in  each  hand. 
The  saddle  should  fit  closely  to  the  horse;  if  it  does 
not,  the  weight  of  the  man's  body  is  raised  and  he 
is  less  steady  when  the  horse  is  in  motion,  making 
balance  more  difficult;  a  closely-fitting  saddle  will 
enable  the  rider  to  get  down  into  his  seat. 

Many  and  various  are  the  directions  given  as  to 
mounting;  some  authorities  would  have  us  make 
six  separate  movements  of  it.  Mounting  on  the 
near  side  has  become  customary  because  in  the  old 
days  riders  carried  heavy  weapons  in  their  right 
hands,  and  could  not  conveniently  have  mounted  on 
the  of¥  side,^  but  all  beginners  should  learn  to  do  so 
on  both.  Let  the  pupil  turn  his  back  to  the  horse's 
head,  and  if  he  is  mounting  from  the  left,  place  his 
left  foot  in  the  stirrup,  catch  hold  of  the  horse's 
mane  if  he  has  one,  and  if  not,  the  pommel,  and 
spring  lightly  into  the  saddle.     Some  authorities  do 

^  In  very  early  days,  before  stirrups  were  invented,  there  was  a 
hook  on  the  man's  spear  on  which  he  placed  his  foot  and  raised 
himself  when  he  wished  to  mount.  At  other  times  horses  were 
taught  to  kneel  for  their  riders  to  get  on,  or  short  ladders  were  used, 
and  it  is  recorded  that  in  some  countries  noblemen  were  accustomed 
to  mount  by  the  aid  of  their  attendants*  backs.  We  also  hear  of 
mounting-stones  being  placed  by  the  roadside  for  the  convenience 
of  travelers. 


170    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

not  recommend  the  back  being  turned  to  the  horse's 
head,  but  it  has  these  advantages — if  the  animal 
moves  on  it  helps  the  man  into  the  saddle,  and  pre- 
vents his  being  kicked  if  the  horse  is  tickled  with  the 
toe  in  mounting.  The  only  objection  is  that  a  play- 
ful horse  may  give  you  a  pinch  in  the  region  of  the 
coat-tails,  but  surely  this  would  be  an  additional  in- 
centive to  springing  quickly  into  the  saddle. 

As  to  the  way  the  man  should  hold  himself  on 
the  horse,  some  writers  w^ould  have  no  directions 
given  him  at  first,  whilst  others  would,  so  to  speak, 
place  him  by  rule  of  thumb,  even  to  the  length  of 
making  him  hold  his  hands  in  the  center  of  his  body, 
and  exactly  three  inches  from  it!  Harry  Hieover, 
a  clever  horseman  and  knowing  writer,  says :  "  You 
don't  sit  bolt  upright  on  your  chair;  what  on  earth 
makes  you  do  it  on  your  horse?  Leave  it  to  the 
soldiers."  In  this  as  in  all  else  there  is  a  golden 
mean ;  give  too  many  directions  and  you  get  stiffness, 
give  none  and  you  make  balance  more  difficult  for 
the  tyro.  Explain  to  your  charge  that  his  difficulties 
will  be  increased  unless  he  gets  his  seat  well  under 
him,  excepting,  of  course,  when  rising  to  the  trot, 
or  going  very  fast,  when  his  shoulders  should  natU' 


An  Improved  Method  171 

rally  be  advanced.  An  erect  carriage  can  be  assumed 
without  hollowing  the  back  or  sitting  stiffly. 

Fitting  the  stirrups  to  the  pupil's  comfort  is  of 
great  importance,  and  the  best  way  of  doing  so  is  to 
place  him  in  the  saddle  with  his  knee  at  what  appears 
to  be  the  height  to  suit  his  thigh,  and  then  to  stand 
in  front  of  the  horse  and  shorten  or  lengthen  the 
leathers  until  the  base  of  the  stirrup  is  in  line  with 
the  sole  of  the  boot.  Further  adjustment  may  be 
needed  when  the  pupil  has  been  riding  about  for  a 
time.  As  Rarey  says :  "  There  are  certain  rules 
laid  down  as  to  the  length  of  the  man's  stirrup  leath- 
ers, but  the  only  good  rule  is  that  they  should  be 
short  enough  to  give  the  rider  full  confidence  in  his 
seat,  and  full  power  over  a  pulling  horse."  This 
sound  maxim  may  well  be  borne  in  mind  when 
fitting  stirrups. 

As  much  practice  as  possible  should  be  given  to 
the  pupil  without  fatiguing  him  or  allowing  him 
to  be  chafed.  A  man  will  learn  In  a  third  the  num- 
ber of  lessons  if  he  begins  with  one  a  day  and  goes 
on  to  two,  instead  of  riding  only  twice  a  week. 

When  some  progress  has  been  made,  a  grown-up 
pupil  should  have  a  change  of  horses,  especially  for 


172    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

work  without  stirrups ;  this  is  easy  enough  when  two 
or  three  men  are  under  instruction,  but  presents  diffi- 
culties with  a  single  learner  and  a  limited  stud.  If 
riding  is  acquired  on  one  horse  only,  the  instructor 
must  not  expect  his  pupil  to  show  anything  like  the 
same  proficiency  the  first  time  he  gets  on  to  another 
one. 

The  necessary  intervals  for  rest  should  not  be 
wasted;  the  points  of  a  horse,  his  simple  ailments, 
and  horsemastership,  are  very  important  parts  of 
any  horseman's  education,  and  are  too  often  neg- 
lected. The  sportsman's  pleasure  depends  upon  his 
possessing  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  these  subjects; 
and  as  far  as  the  soldier  is  concerned,  the  latest 
quick-firing  gun  is  useless  unless  it  can  be  brought 
into  action  at  the  required  moment;  very  little  in- 
formation is  to  be  obtained  from  mounted  scouts  if 
their  horses  cannot  travel;  wide  strategic  move- 
ments by  cavalry  cannot  be  thought  of,  nor  the  army 
in  the  field  properly  fed,  without  continual  and 
tireless  care  of  the  horse.  The  army  with  the  fittest 
horses  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  has  a  great  in- 
itial advantage,  and,  providing  that  the  officers  and 
men  are  well  versed  in  their  care  and  management, 


An  Improved  Method  173 

this  advantage  remains  to  the  end  of  the  campaign. 
In  the  South  African  War  the  English  losses  in 
horseflesh  amounted  to  the  appalling  total  of  340,- 
000,  and  it  is  idle  to  suppose  that  better  horseman- 
agement  might  not  have  considerably  lessened  the 
death-roll. 

The  next  section  consists  of  a  rough  guide  to  fifty 
lessons  in  equitation,  which  can  be  modified  to  suit 
the  pupil's  strength  and  fitness.  His  progress  will, 
to  a  great  extent,  depend  upon  himself. 


XVI 

INSTRnCTIONAL  EXERCISES 


XVI 

INSTRUCTIONAL  EXERCISES 

"  Whoso  loveth  instruction  loveth  knowledge." 

Proverbs  xii.  v.  i. 

"  Be  to  his  faults  a  little  blind, 
Be  to  his  virtues  ever  kind." 
John  Jorrocks's  version  of  Matthew  Prior. 

^T-^HE  following  is  a  rough  guide  for  progressive 
riding  lessons,  each  of  about  an  hour's  dura- 
tion, which  are  to  follow  ten  short  lessons  on  the 
dummy  horse.  Quicker  results  will  be  obtained  after 
riding  commences  if  the  pupil  continues  his  exercises 
on  the  dummy  horse  at  a  separate  hour  of  the  day. 
Proficiency  in  riding  is  attained  more  quickly  by 
some  than  by  others,  as  in  everything  else,  and  it 
will  be  found  better  after  the  thirtieth  lesson  to 
separate  the  good  from  the  indifferent  pupils.  As 
before  mentioned,  if  only  one  beginner  is  under  in- 
struction his  horse  should  be  longed;  if  there  is 
more  than  one,  a  man  who  can  ride  should  for  the 

first  few  lessons  take  the  lead  round  the  manege  or 

177 


178    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

school,  in  order  to  set  the  pace.  The  detail  of  the 
necessary  aid  and  indications  will  be  found  at  the 
end  of  the  section. 

First  Lesson 

The  pupil  should  be  taught  by  practical  demon- 
stration how  to  mount,  hold  his  reins  (if  this  has 
not  already  been  done  on  the  dummy  horse),  and 
how  to  make  his  horse  move  off  at  a  walk  and  turn 
to  the  right  and  left.  The  instructor  need  not  be 
particular  at  this  stage  as  to  whether  the  animal 
turns  on  his  forehand,  center,  or  haunches. 

The  first  day's  lesson  should  merely  consist  in 
walking  round  the  school,  first  on  one  rein  and 
then  on  the  other,  and  the  men  should  dismount  at 
frequent  intervals;  but  rising  in  the  saddle  with- 
out reins  should  be  practised,  as  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  whatever  exercise  the  pupils  have  had  on 
dummy  horses,  those  useful  machines  do  not  move 
forward,  and  that  the  conditions  are  therefore  some- 
what different  on  real  ones.  All  the  above  in- 
structions can  be  given  to  the  pupil  on  the  longe  if 
necessary. 


Instructional  Exercises  179 

Second  Lesson 

Balancing  exercises  to  be  commenced,  and  con- 
tinued at  a  walk  up  to  the  ninth  lesson:  hands 
held  above  the  head,  touching  the  toe  on  either  side, 
and  leaning  backwards  and  forwards  in  the  saddle. 

Balancing  exercises  cannot  be  undertaken  at 
this  early  stage  unless  previously  practised  on  the 
dummy  horse.  In  the  Austrian  Army  beginners 
are  supplied  with  india-rubber  balls  attached  by  an 
elastic  to  the  wrist.  It  is  claimed  that  catching  the 
ball  affords  a  useful  lesson  in  balance,  but  I  have 
not  found  this  practice  necessary. 

Short  trotting  lessons  with  and  without  reins  but 
with  stirrups.^ 

Third,  Fourth,  and  Fifth  Lessons 

Short  trotting  lessons  as  above  and  also  without 
reins  or  stirrups.  Once  round  the  manege  will  be 
found  sufficient  when  stirrups  are  first  dispensed 
with.  Part  of  these  lessons,  and  subsequent  ones 
up  to  the  thirtieth,  will  be  done  on  a  circle  at  either 

'  It  is  a  help  with  raw  beginners  to  use  horses  which  will  answer 
to  the  voice,  and  will  trot,  walk,  and  halt  at  the  word  of  the 
instructor. 


x8o    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

end  of  the  manege,  first  on  one  hand  and  then  on 
the  other.  In  the  initial  stages  the  principle  must  be 
observed  that  the  tyro  is  never  to  be  allowed  to  use 
his  reins  unless  he  is  riding  with  stirrups,  because 
he  can  have  very  little  control  over  his  horse  without 
the  purchase  they  afford. 

Sixth  Lesson 

The  same  as  No.  5,  with  the  addition  of  two  or 
three  canters  with  stirrups  and  reins. 

Seventh  and  Eighth  Lessons 

Trotting  lesson  without  reins,  and  as  much  with- 
out stirrups  as  the  man  can  stand  without  fatigue. 
Short  cantering  lesson  with  stirrups  and  without 
reins.  Three  or  four  jumps  at  a  trot  over  a  very 
low  obstacle  about  one  foot  high,  with  stirrups  well 
home;  end  of  the  rein  to  be  held  in  the  full  of  the 
hand. 

Ninth  to  Twelfth  Lessons  (inclusive) 

Trotting  and  short  cantering  lessons  without 
reins  or  stirrups.  Balancing  exercises  at  a  trot. 
Number    of    jumps    to    be    increased    daily,    and 


Instructional  Exercises  tSt 

negotiated  at  a  canter.    A  few  jumps  without  reins 
and  with  stirrups  at  the  end  of  each  lesson. 

Thirteenth  to  Sixteenth  Lessons  (inclusive) 

Same  as  above :  all  jumping  to  be  done  without 
reins.  At  least  twenty  jumps  for  each  pupil. 
Frequent  changes  of  horse  excepting  for  jumping' 

Seventeenth  Lesson 

Jumping  lesson  over  a  one-foot  obstacle  at  a 
canter,  without  stirrups;  the  end  of  the  rein  to  be 
held  in  the  full  of  the  right  hand. 

Trotting,  cantering,  and  balancing  exercises  as 
above. 

Eighteenth  to  Twentieth  Lessons  (inclusive) 

Same  as  above,  with  the  addition  of  balancing 
exercises  at  a  canter,  and  frequent  change  of  horses 
for  jumping. 

Jumping  without  reins  or  stirrups  gradually  in- 
troduced.^ 

^  The  first  time  the  pupil  jumps  without  reins  or  stirrups  he 
should  be  cautioned  against  leaning  back :  in  fact  he  may  be  told 
to  lean  well  forward,  as  grief  is  rare  from  leaning  too  far  forward, 
but  is  sure  to  come  if  the  body  is  leant  too  far  back. 


l82    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Twenty-first  to  Thirtieth  Lessons 
(inclusive) 

Jumping-  with  reins  and  stirrups  over  a  one-foot 
obstacle,  and  then  over  two  one- foot  jumps  five 
yards  apart,  to  form  an  in-and-out,  and  thirdly  over 
a  single  jump,  to  be  gradually  raised  to  a  height  of 
two  feet,  and  negotiated  without  reins  but  with 
stirrups. 

Reining  back. 

Trotting,  cantering  lessons,  etc.,  as  before. 

Thirty-first  to  Fortieth  Lessons  (inclusive) 

First  half-hour  each  day  of  independent  work  for 
each  pupil  in  the  open : — Cantering  on  the  circle, 
and  passaging. 

Second  half-hour  in  the  school  or  manege : — 
Jumping  a  two-foot  obstacle,  gradually  heightened 
to  three  feet,  alternately  with  and  without  reins  and 
stirrups. 

Fortieth  to  Fiftieth  Lessons  (inclusive) 
First  half-hour  : — Independent  work ;  making  a 


Instructional  Exercises  183 

horse  change  at  a  canter  by  the  movement  of  the 
body;  the  use  of  the  body  as  a  pivot  in  turning 
(see  "Distribution  of  the  Rider's  Weight"). 

Figure-of-eight  at  a  canter. 

One-handed  riding  (see  "  Use  and  Misuse  of  the 
Hands"). 

Riding  over  broken  ground  and  up  and  down  hill. 

Pupils  who  are  sufficiently  advanced  to  be 
allowed  spurs  and  a  double  bridle. 

Jumping  (over  single  and  double  obstacles)  of  a 
height  suitable  to  the  pupil's  progress. 

As  before  mentioned,  properly-trained  horses  are 
a  great  advantage,  but  good  results  can  be  obtained 
on  badly-trained  ones. 

In  1907  I  experimented  with  a  class  of  Horse 
Artillery  trumpeters ;  they  went  through  a  course  of 
forty  lessons  similar  to  those  above,  but  they  also 
had  thirty  lessons  on  the  dummy  horse.  At  the  end 
of  the  course  they  could — 

Jump  a  bushed  gorse  fence  3  ft.  9  in.  high  and 
3  ft.  4  in.  broad,  with  and  without  reins  or  stirrups ; 

Jump  an  in-and-out  3  ft.  9  in.  high  and  i  ft.  6  in. 
broad ; 


l84    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

Do  a  figure-of-eight  correctly  at  a  canter; 

Ride  up  and  down  a  steep  incline  at  any  pace ; 

Gallop  a  horse  in  the  open  and  pull  up  quickly. 

The  instructor,  Sergeant-Major  J.  Lynch 
(W.  O.),  was  a  very  exceptional  man,  of  long  ex- 
perience, and  the  horses  were  perfectly  trained.  I 
wish  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  a  first-class  in- 
structor is  invaluable. 

Since  these  experiments  were  first  made  it  has 
been  found  possible  to  pass  out  classes  of  ordinary 
recruits  with  a  firm  seat  independent  of  the  reins  in 
an  average  of  the  same  number  of  lessons,  and  with- 
out any  of  them  having  had  a  fall. 

No  Continental  nation  has  attempted  anything  of 
the  sort  in  the  time. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  combined 
use  of  the  aid  and  the  indications,  to  be  explained 
and  demonstrated  to  the  pupil  as  the  different 
movements  occur  in  the  instructional  exercises: — 

To  make  the  horse  move  off  at  a  walk. — Ease  the 
reins  and  apply  both  legs  without  drawing  them 
back. 

To  make  the  horse  turn  to  the  right. — Lean 
slightly  to  the  right,  pull  the  right  rein,  and  apply 


Instructional  Exercises  185 

the  left  leg  drawn  back  in  order  to  stay  the  horse's 
quarters  when  the  turn  is  completed. 

To  make  the  horse  turn  to  the  left. — Reverse  the 
indications. 

To  stop. — A  steady  but  light  pull  on  both  reins. 

To  make  the  horse  trot. — The  same  indications 
should  be  used  as  for  making  him  start  at  a  walk, 
but  with  increased  pressure  of  the  legs. 

Cantering. — To  make  a  horse  strike  off  at  a 
canter  with  the  near  foreleg  leading,  apply  the 
right  rein/  and  the  right  leg  drawn  back.  Reverse 
the  indications  for  the  off  fore.  If  a  horse  is  canter- 
ing on  the  wrong  leg,  i.  e.,  the  outward  one,  wait 
till  he  gets  to  the  end  of  the  manege,  and  then  direct 
the  pupil  to  pull  his  head  into  the  corner  as  he  turns. 
He  will  then  change  on  to  the  inward  leg;  if  not, 
he  should  be  pulled  up  into  a  trot  and  made  to 
strike  off  afresh.  As  a  rule  no  difficulty  will  be  ex- 
perienced  in  this   direction   when  moving  on   the 

'  The  right  rein  is  chosen,  in  order  to  advance  the  horse's  left 
shoulder  and  at  the  same  time  to  take  the  weight  off  it  by  bringing 
the  horse's  head  slightly  to  the  right.  Some  writers  object  to  the 
head  being  inclined  either  way,  as  they  say  it  is  apt  to  make  the  horse 
canter  crab-fashion,  but  I  have  never  found  this  to  happen  in  practice 
when  the  action  on  the  mouth  is  only  momentary.  If  the  rein  in  ques- 
tion is  kept  permanently  shortened  in  the  riding  school  the  horse  will 
certainly  go  crab-fashion  to  avoid  the  wall. 


i86    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

circle,  as  it  is  natural  for  the  horse  to  lead  with  his 
inward  leg.  The  method  of  making  an  untrained 
horse  equally  handy  on  either  foreleg  at  a  canter 
will  be  dealt  with  in  the  section  on  "  Futher  Horse- 
training." 

Reining  back. — The  horse  should  be  put  back  a 
length  at  a  time  by  a  gentle  feeling  of  both  reins, 
whilst  the  rider's  legs  keep  the  quarters  from  flying 
out  and  prevent  the  horse  from  lowering  his  head 
and  so  getting  out  of  hand. 

Passaging- — The  passage,  a  common  term  in 
English  riding-schools,  means  either  moving  the 
horse  sideways  with  his  head  slightly  leading  or 
moving  him  diagonally,  the  latter  movement  being 
sometimes  known  as  the  "half-passage  ";  this  must 
not  be  confused  with  the  "  shoulder  in,"  in  which 
the  horse's  head  is  bent  away  from  the  direction 
in  which  he  is  going.  On  the  Continent  the  word 
"  passage  "  means  a  high  and  collected  trot.  To 
passage  to  the  right,  feel  the  right  rein  a  little 
stronger  than  the  left,  and  apply  the  left  leg  drawn 
back.  To  passage  to  the  left  reverse  the  above. 
This  is  a  most  useful  lesson  as  a  preparation  for 
gate-opening. 


Instructional  Exercise?:  187 

Some  teachers  of  riding  will  consider  t^'i^  the  so- 
called  "  aids  '*'  given  in  the  above  lesson  are,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  insufficient,  both  in  number  and  detail, 
but  I  hold  that  this  is^not  the  case  if  the  horse  is 
trained  and  balanced.  I  do  not  think  that  enough 
distinction  is  made  in  equine  literature  between  the 
"  aids  "  required  for  the  trained  and  the  untrained 
animal.  I  have  before  me  now  a  widely-read  book 
on  riding,  and  as  an  example  of  unnecessary  det?^il 
I  will  quote  the  instructions  it  gives  for  pulling  a 
horse  up  to  a  standstill.  "  Close  both  legs,  feel  both 
reins,  raise  the  hands,  bring  the  weight  of  the  body 
back,  and  relax  the  pressure  of  the  legs  and  hands 
as  soon  as  the  horse  halts."  Now,  a  man  uses  the 
pressure  of  the  lower  part  of  his  legs  to  start  his 
horse;  it  therefore  seems  unreasonable  to  do  the 
same  thing  when  he  wishes  the  animal  to  stop.  It 
may,  however,  be  necessary  to  apply  the  legs  to  the 
horse  when  he  is  halted,  should  he  evince  a  disposi- 
tion to  back.  Ladies  who  still  ride  as  their  mothers 
did,  stop  their  horses  very  well  with  no  pressure 
from  the  legs :  why  then  should  it  be  necessary  for 
the  man?  Again,  why  raise  both  hands?  The 
raising  or  lowering  of  the  hands  should  be  unneces- 


i88    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

sary  if  the  horse  is  well  balanced  and  carries  his 
head  properly;  if  he  does  not  answer  to  this  descrip- 
tion it  is  just  as  likely  as  not  that  you  will  have  to 
lower  your  hands  to  make  him  pull  up. 

A  very  knowledgeable  man  on  matters  equine, 
and  a  fine  man  to  hounds,  remarked  after  reading 
through  the  above :  "  Why  give  the  indications  for 
cantering  first  on  one  leg  and  then  on  the  other? 
Nobody  cares  when  they  are  in  the  field  which  leg  a 
horse  is  leading  with ;  all  they  care  about  is  that  the 
animal  should  know  how  to  change  legs  if  he  turns 
quickly  and  finds  himself  leading  with  the  outward 
one.  Why  not  simply  say,  '  To  make  a  horse 
canter,  catch  him  by  the  head  and  press  him  hard 
with  the  legs  '  ?  This  is  what  any  self-taught  rider 
does."  There  is  truth  enough  in  this,  and  every 
rider  does  not  want  to  be  a  horse  trainer,  but  the 
answer  to  it  is  as  follows :  Unless  a  horse  canters 
round  the  school  or  manege  with  his  inward  leg 
leading  he  is  liable  to  come  down  at  the  corners, 
and  therefore  for  the  learner's  sake  certain  simple 
indications  must  be  laid  down  for  making  the  animal 
start  on  the  inward  leg.  No  ordinary  rider  will 
bother   his   head  either  to   remember  or  to   apply 


Instructional  Exercises  189 

complicated  aids,  and  no  novice  could  do  so  if  he 
would. 

The  indications  for  the  "  shoulder  in  "  are  pur- 
posely omitted  here,  as  I  consider  that  a  horse's 
head  should  not  be  turned  away  from  the  direction 
in  which  he  is  going";  the  passage  and  half-passage 
are  all-sufficient  for  diagonal  and  side  movements. 

Although  the  subject  of  horse  training  is  not  here 
under  discussion,  I  would  remind  the  reader  that  a 
strong  and  frequent  application  of  the  legs  is  indis- 
pensable in  the  making  of  a  young  horse. 


PART  II 

ON  TRAINING  HORSES 

XVII 

WHAT  TO  TEACH 


XVII 

"WHAT  TO  TEACH 

"  Now,  in  equitation  there  can  be  no  divided  empire,  and  the  horse 
will  be  master  if  the  man  is  not."  Whyte  Melville. 

T  F  teaching  the  man  to  ride  is  an  art,  training 
the  horse  is  a  much  higher  and  more  difficult 
one,  demanding  expert  knowledge,  good  horseman- 
ship, abounding  patience,  ready  resource,  and  a 
quick,  observant  eye.  The  "  colt  without  under- 
standing "  not  only,  as  Berenger  says,  has  to  learn 
the  language  of  man,  but  must  be  gentled,  mouthed, 
and  taught  to  go  "  balanced  "  in  his  paces.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  his  muscles  and  sinews  must  be  so  de- 
veloped that  when  he  is  trained  he  is  thoroughly 
well  fitted  to  do  the  work  that  will  be  demanded  of 
him. 

Balance  as  applied  to  a  horse  is  not  very  gen- 
erally understood  in  England,  which  may  in  some 
degree  account  for  the  lack  of  it  in  many  so-called 
"  trained   animals."      He    should   be   permanently 

193 


194    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

balanced,  unless  nature  has  done  it  for  him,  to 
enable  him  to  go  lightly  in  front  when  required,  in 
order  that  he  may  be  a  pleasant  ride. 

To  be  at  his  best  zi'hcn  ridden  the  horse  must  in- 
stinctively balance  himself  at  all  paces  and  in  all 
situations,  aiid  educating  him  to  do  this  may  be 
termed  the  alpha  and  omega  of  horse  training. 

The  colt  instinctively  learns  how  to  balance  him- 
self from  birth :  by  raising  or  lowering  the  head 
and  neck  he  shifts  his  balance  backwards  and  for- 
wards and  does  not  feel  his  weiglit  any  more  than 
we  do  ours ;  but  when  he  is  backed  his  conformation 
makes  all  the  difference  to  his  ability  to  adjust  him- 
self to  the  new  conditions.  He  has  now  to  carry 
some  150  lbs.  placed  above  and  behind  his  normal 
center  of  gravity,  and  this  and  the  undeveloped  con- 
dition of  the  muscles  of  his  back  and  limbs  accounts 
for  his  awkward  gait  when  first  mounted.  If  a 
horse  is  well  made,  equilibrium  comes  to  him  easily 
when  mounted,  and  his  muscles  strengthen  in  the 
proper  proportion,  providing  that  he  is  properly 
ridden.  If,  however,  he  has  not  been  kindly  treated 
by  nature,  we  must,  as  far  as  she  will  allow  it,  help 
him  to  lighten  his  forehand  at  the  trot  and  canter 


What  to  Teach  1^^ 

by  a  judicious  raising  and  placing  of  his  head  and 
neck.  Let  us  endeavor  to  find  out  how  this  may  be 
done  without  depriving  the  animal  of  liberty  of  ac- 
tion. 

If  first  the  fore  and  then  the  hind  limbs  of  a 
horse  are  placed  on  a  sensitive  weighing-machine, 
it  will  be  found  that  the  forehand  is  heavier  than  the 
hind-quarters;  should  the  animal  hold  his  neck 
horizontal  so  that  the  head  is  vertical  the  excess  is 
increased  according  to  the  length  of  the  neck  and 
the  size  of  the  head  Exhaustive  weighing  ex- 
periments, carried  out  in  England  and  on  the  Con- 
tinent, prove  that  from  14  to  28  lbs.  weight  is  taken 
off  the  fore-legs  by  raising  the  head  from  the  ver- 
tical position  to  a  higher  one,  at  which  the  front 
of  the  face  makes  an  angle  of  45  degrees  with  the 
ground.  The  head  of  the  horse  alone  weighs  from 
40  to  50  lbs. 

Other  interesting  points  to  be  gleaned  from 
horse- weighing  experiments  are  that  about  66%  of 
the  rider's  weight  is  carried  on  the  forelegs  if  he 
sits  upright,  and  that  if  the  forehand  is  weighed 
with  the  man  leaning  well  forward  and  then  leaning 
well  back,  there  will  be  a  difference  of  weight  of 


l9'6    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

approximately  50  lbs.  on  the  forelegs.  Readers 
who  are  skeptical  of  the  value  of  the  *'  distribution 
of  the  rider's  weight  "  as  an  aid  will  do  well  to  bear 
this  fact  in  mind. 

Veterinary  science  supplies  us  with  certain  in- 
formation concerning  the  mechanism  of  the  horse 
which  every  trainer  ought  to  be  in  possession  of  if 
he  is  to  get  full  value  out  of  his  work.  Without  en- 
tering into  technical  detail,  the  chief  muscle  which 
advances  the  foreleg  runs  from  the  top  of  the  head 
to  the  bone  below  the  blade-bone.  Its  origin  is 
from  the  back  of  the  head  and  the  first  four  bones 
of  the  neck  (see  Fig.  9,  the  point  of  attachment  to 
the  blade-bone  or  humerus  is  marked  with  a  cross). 
If  we  artificially  shorten  tliis  muscle  by  pronounced 
flexion  of  the  neck  we  interfere  with  free  shoulder- 
action,  reduce  the  horse's  speed,  and  cause  him  to 
resort  to  increased  knee-action  to  raise  his  forelegs. 
Veterinary  experts  also  tell  us  that  the  joint  between 
the  head  and  the  first  bone  of  the  neck  is  not  con- 
structed for  a  facial  angle  approaching  the  perpen- 
dicular; that  the  bones  of  the  neck  are  not  suitably 
arranged  for  continuous  curvature;  and  that  the 
tissues  of  the  throat  are  displaced  if  the  nose  is 


What  to  Teach  X97 

tucked  in,  when  the  gland  may  be  seen  bulging  out 
behind  the  edge  of  the  jaw.  A  horse  that  makes 
no  noise  in  a  snaffle  may  roar  in  a  bit,  though  the 
noise  may  not  be  due  to  paralysis. 

A  horse  never  voluntarily  arches  his  neck  to  any 


Fig.  9. 
degree  excepting  when  he  wind-sucks  or  stretches 
himself.  The  confirmed  puller  does  sometimes  do 
it  for  a  purpose,  but  the  whole  tendency  of  the  free 
horse  is  to  extend  his  head,  and  most  of  us  have 
watched  with  admiration  the  light  elastic  movement 
of  the  young  horse  surprised  when  grazing  in  a 


ipS    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Educatioii 

field,  and  the  high  carriage  of  his  head  as  he  trots 
away.  The  animal  certainly  has  no  weight  on  his 
back,  but  we  may  note  that  the  free  shoulder-action 
we  admire  accompanies  a  neck  held  high  and  a 
head  if  anything  extended. 

Perhaps  the  best  illustration  of  the  part  played 
in  advancing  the  forelegs,  by  the  important  muscle  I 
have  mentioned,  is  to  be  observed  in  the  different 
effect  on  the  action  of  the  horse  of  the  "  over-draw 
check-rein  "  (Plate  XIX)  used  in  trotting  matches, 
and  the  English  bearing-rein.  The  first  named  is 
designed  to  bring  the  head  up  and  the  nose  out,  thus 
stretching  the  neck-muscle  to  its  extreme  length  and 
giving  the  quickest  and  freest  shoulder  action,  which 
results  in  increased  speed  for  trotting  matches. 
The  English  bearing-rein  (Plate  XX),  on  the  con- 
trary, arches  the  horse's  neck  and  brings  his  nose  in, 
which  produces  exaggerated  knee-action  and  loss  of 
forward  movement,  but  allows  the  driver  a  fuller 
power  of  control. 

For  pleasant  hacks,  such  as  the  gaited  horses 
of  Kentucky,  and  for  the  English  park  hack,  the 
arched-neck,  nose-in  profile  recommended  by 
Baucher  and  other  Haute  Ecole  enthusiasts  in  no 
way  detracts  from  their  usefulness,  and  they  are 


03  < 
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O 

a; 

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I 

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-^-- 

1)  ►*< 


What  to  Teach  199 

comfortable  to  ride,  but  "  hacks  "  pure  and  simple 
are  rare  in  England  now;  most  saddle-horses  are 
bred  to  be  either  racers,  hunters,  or  polo  ponies.  It 
is  probably  for  this  reason  that  we  Britishers  have 
not  generally  adopted  the  methods  of  Baucher  and 
his  disciples.  The  hunting  man,  for  instance,  must 
have  a  horse  trained  to  use  his  shoulders  with  com- 
plete freedom,  or  he  will  not  get  the  best  pace  out  of 
his  mount  when  he  requires  it,  and  will  probably 
come  to  grief  when  jumping  a  fence  with  a  ditch 
on  the  landing  side. 

Doubtless  the  arched-neck,  nose-in  system  of 
trainings,  places  the  horse  in  the  most  advantageous 
position  for  control  and  with  his  hocks  more  under 
him,  perhaps  because,  the  arching  being  unnatural, 
he  endeavors  to  escape  from  it  by  throwing  his 
weight  back.  But  leaving  the  hack  out  of  the 
question,  do  these  advantages  compensate  for  the 
loss  of  that  freedom  which  is  so  essential  in  the  field  ? 
We  can  always  get  a  horse  back  on  his  hocks  when 
occasion  arises  without  this  iron-bound  system. 
The  other  extreme,  the  position  the  racing  trotter 
is  made  to  assume,  with  his  nose  poked  out  and  up 
in  the  air,  is  equally  unsuitable  for  general  purposes, 
as  the  bit  does  not  rest  on  the  bars  of  the  mouth. 


200    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

The  medium  course  seems  the  most  natural  one  to 
pursue,  that  is  to  say,  to  train  the  horse  to  carry 
his  neck  as  high  from  the  withers  as  is  compatible 
with  control,  and  to  demand  no  pronounced  flexion 
at  the  poll.  I  have  obtained  happy  results  from  this 
procedure :  once  a  horse  learns  to  go  light  in  front 
at  a  trot  and  canter  with  no  hold  on  his  mouth  he 
will  balance  himself  correctly  without  any  excessive 
"  collecting,"  and  the  rider's  power  of  control  is  all- 
sufficient. 

The  Arabs  provide  us  with  good  examples  of 
the  two  extremes.  The  true  desert  Arabs  of  Syria, 
who  generally  ride  their  mares,  control  them  with  a 
chain  round  the  nose  instead  of  a  bit,  and  they  move 
with  as  high  a  carriage  of  the  head  as  a  horse  at 
liberty,  whilst  the  agricultural  population  and  towns- 
men use  a  bit  of  the  severest  pattern,  and  their 
horses  carry  their  heads  with  the  nose  very  much 
tucked  in. 

I  have  not  touched  on  the  carriage  of  the  head 
from  the  point  of  view  of  vision,  as  although  Hayes 
insists  that  when  the  nose  is  brought  in  the  vision 
is  limited,  Major-General  F.  Smith,  Director  of 
Veterinary  Service,  whom  I  have  to  thank  for  much 
valuable  technical  information,  is  not  in  agreement 


What  to  Teach  20i 

with  him.  The  horse's  eye  is  prominently  set  at  the 
side  of  the  face,  and  not  in  front  as  in  ourselves; 
it  has  great  rotatory  powers,  and  the  facial  bones 
below  it  are  narrowed,  all  of  which  enables  the  horse 
to  see  with  facility  in  almost  any  position. 

A  naturally  well-balanced  horse  always  wins  the 
Derby,  and  there  is  no  more  trying  course.  By 
leaving  the  animal  heavy  in  front  at  a  trot  and  canter 
we  sacrifice  the  possibility  of  making  him  a  sure  and 
comfortable  ride,  we  contribute  to  the  early  break- 
down of  his  forelegs,  and,  most  important  of  all,  he 
will  take  it  out  of  himself  more  quickly  and  so  tire 
his  rider  and  rob  him  of  his  sport;  or,  if  in  war, 
perhaps  of  his  life.  After  an  ill-made  horse  has 
been  balanced  he  can  always  extend  his  neck  to  get 
his  weight  forward  and  so  increase  his  powers  of 
propulsion. 

Nothing  makes  him  put  his  weight  on  his  fore- 
hand more  surely  than  being  ridden  by  a  man  who 
constantly  leans  on  the  reins, — a  practice  which 
eventually  leads,  so  to  speak,  to  the  horse  pulling 
with  his  forelegs. 

General  Sir  Robert  Baden  Powell,  in  an  article 
on  balance  in  the  Cavalry  Journal  of  July,  1906, 
gives  a  practical  example  of  its  value  for  the  long 


202    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

distance  journeys  that  so  often  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
cavalry  horse,  as  demonstrated  in  the  long-distance 
riding  competitions  on  the  Continent.  Lieutenant 
Allut,  28th  (French)  Dragoons,  who  won  the  com- 
petition in  1904,  said  that  in  selecting  the  horse  from 
his  squadron  he  went  not  so  much  by  its  history  as 
by  its  balance :  when  he  found  a  w^ell-built  horse 
which  was  light  in  the  forehand  he  knew  that  he 
had  one  which  would  not  easily  tire  and  go  lame 
from  carrying  all  the  weight  on  its  forelegs. 

As  the  General  explains,  "  in  training  a  horse  we 
should  not  only  aim  at  teaching  him  to  hold  himself 
in  the  correct  position  at  the  different  paces  and 
movements,  but  also  at  developing  the  necessary 
muscles  for  keeping  him  permanently  so  placed  or 
balanced."  I  shall  have  more  to  say  on  the  way  in 
which  this  can  be  done  later  on. 

So  much  for  the  foundation  of  the  training  neces- 
sary for  every  description  of  riding  horse.  When 
he  has  been  made  to  undergo  it  we  can  proceed  to 
specialize  for  the  particular  work  which  we  require 
the  animal  to  perform;  be  it  hunting,  polo,  show 
jumping,  or  mounted  combat ;  and  it  will  repay  us 
well  if  his  mind  has  been  developed  as  well  as  his 
muscle. 


XVIII 

THE  HORSE'S  MIND 


XVIII 

THE  HORSE'S  MIND 

"  Therefore  cultivate  his  intellect — I  use  the  word  advisedly — even 
before  you  enter  on  the  development  of  his  physical  powers." 

Whyte  Melville. 

TT  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  discuss  the  com- 
parative intellectual  capacity  of  our  domesti- 
cated animals,  or  to  try  to  explain,  as  scientists  do, 
that  in  the  struggle  for  existence  some  races  of  wild 
animals  develop  higher  mental  powers  than  others, 
cither  in  pursuit  of  their  prey  or  in  evading  the  at- 
tacks of  their  enemies.  Before,  however,  condemn- 
ing our  horses  as  less  intelligent  than  our  dogs,  we 
should  remember  that  the  former  spend  many  hours 
out  of  the  twenty-four  tied  up  in  front  of  a  wall,  a 
state  of  affairs  which  is  not  conducive  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  brain. 

Horses  are  not  bred  for  brains,  and  authorities 
are  not  in  agreement  as  to  the  extent  to  which  they 
possess  them,  some  even  going  so  far  as  to  say  that 
any  attempt  at  mental  development  may  add  to  the 

205 


2o6    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

trainer's  troubles.  Literature  on  the  subject  is  some- 
what uncommon,  though  most  authors  touch  upon 
it.  Quite  recently,  however,  Count  Eugenio  Marti- 
nengo  Cesaresco  has  written  a  volume  insisting  on 
mind-development  for  horses  if  we  wish  to  get  full 
value  out  of  the  machine,  and  he  has  lately  written 
to  me  to  say  that  the  eminent  authority  Professor 
Hobday  approves  of  his  psychology. 

In  his  book,  the  author  takes  a  low  view  of  the 
horse's  mental  capacity ;  he  writes : — **  We  have 
learnt  the  reason  why  the  thunder  is  caused  by 
lightning,  but  the  horse  cannot  attain  this.    He  stops 

at  mere  association and  erroneously  thinks 

that  two  things,  however  associated,  one  is  the  cause 
of  the  other  (sic)  although  it  is  not."  The  caliber 
of  the  horse's  mind,  he  says,  must  be  carefully  taken 
into  account  in  administering  both  punishments  and 
favors,  and  he  quotes  the  following  ancient  fable 
as  an  instance  of  wrong  association  of  a  favor.  A 
dog  bit  a  man,  and  the  man  gave  him  bread  in  the 
hope  that  the  dog  would  bite  him  no  more.  The  re- 
sult was  that  the  dog  went  about  biting  people  when 
he  was  hungry,  because  he  had  obtained  bread  by 
that  means  before.    As.  an  example  of  wrong  asso- 


The  Horse^s  Mind  Sio? 

ciation  of  punishment  the  Count  tells  us  of  a  rider 
whose  horse  stopped  "  because  he  ill-treated  him  in 
the  mouth  with  his  hands."  When  the  horse  stood 
still  he  did  not  punish  him,  but  did  so  when  the  horse 
moved  on  again.  The  animal  was  thereby  taught 
that  "  to  stand  still  was  good  and  to  go  on  was  bad." 
The  author  insists  on  the  training  of  the  mind 
and  body  together,  which  is  only  possible  with  indi- 
vidual attention,  and  points  out  the  danger  of  hurry ; 
vicious  horses  are  made,  he  says,  by  being  asked  to 
do  certain  things  without  preparatory  instruction  of 
a  gradual  nature;  and  he  adds  that  many  horses 
merely  from  seeing  that  they  have  once  been  able 
to  have  their  own  way  become  "  intractable  and  no 
longer  liable  to  control."  Develop  the  mental  quali- 
ties of  the  horse,  he  says,  and  he  will  become  more 
obedient;  he  agrees  with  the  ancients,  who  con- 
sidered a  good  brain  to  be  a  valuable  asset  in  a  horse. 
Hayes  takes  the  opposite  view.  In  his  book,  "  Points 
of  a  Horse,"  he  disapproves  of  the  development  of 
a  high  degree  of  mental  (i.  e.,  reasoning)  power  in  a 
horse,  saying  that  it  makes  him  impatient  of  control 
by  man.  His  arguments  are  not  convincing,  and 
might  equally  well  be  applied  to  retrievers.     In  a 


2o8    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

previous  work,  "  Illustrated  Horse  Breaking,"  he 
states  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  trace  any  indica- 
tion of  reasoning  power  in  a  horse,  by  which  he 
shows  that  he  was  not  very  clear  in  his  own  mind 
on  the  subject. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Brewster  has  told  us,  in  an  interesting 
article  in  McClure's  Magazine  on  the  "  Animal  Mind 
From  Inside,"  that  the  reason  why  the  horse  is  so 
generally  useful  is  far  from  complimentary  to  that 
noble  animal.  This  is  what  he  says.  "  He  (the 
horse)  possesses  just  the  right  degree  of  stupidity. 
If  he  were  stupider  he  would  be  less  plastic  to  ac- 
quire convenient  habits.  If  he  were  cleverer  he 
would  acquire  too  many  habits  for  himslf,  and  live 
too  much  his  own  life,  like  that  particularly  clever 
animal,  the  cat.  The  brightest  children,  likewise,  are 
sometimes  the  hardest  to  bring  up."  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  brightest  horses  are  the  hardest  to 
train,  but  like  the  bright  children  they  give  the  best 
results  if  trouble  is  taken  with  their  education. 

I  myself  humbly  agree  with  Cesaresco,  Whyte 
Melville,  and  others  on  the  subject.  Now,  the  best 
way  to  make  use  of  the  horse's  brain  is  to  teach  him 
to  understand  the  voice,  and  though  Hayes  and 


The  Horse's  Mind  209 

Galvayne  advocate  this  to  the  extent  of  using  a  few- 
simple  words,  such  as  "  whoa,"  "  come  up,"  and 
"  back,"  many  other  writers,  including  Cesaresco, 
consider  it  to  be  impossible.  This  statement  every 
soldier  will  question :  he  knows  how  quickly  horses 
learn  words  of  command  and  trumpet  calls.  In 
India  some  years  ago,  so  the  story  goes,  a  charger 
was  winning  a  race,  but  when  nearing  the  winning- 
post  "  Halt "  was  sounded  on  the  trumpet,  and  he 
shut  up.  The  astute  owner  of  the  second  favorite 
had  commissioned  a  trumpeter  to  be  in  readiness, 
and  the  ruse  succeeded  perfectly. 

I  will  quote  two  examples  of  voice  training  re- 
sulting in  marked  brain  development  which  have 
recently  come  under  my  personal  observation,  and 
which  should  go  far  tow^ards  removing  doubts  on 
the  subject.  There  was  a  horse  at  Woolwich  in 
1909  called  Tommy,  and  belonging  to  Captain 
Aherne,  R.H.A.,  which  if  turned  loose  would  walk, 
trot,  canter,  jump,  and  change  legs  at  a  canter  when 
told  to  do  so,  without  the  aid  of  whip  or  signal,  be- 
sides coming  to  his  master  when  called.  This  was 
taught  by  means  of  long  reins  ^   accompanied  by 

1  The  horse  was  bought  as  a  five-year-old  and  had  undergone  no 
early  training. 


210    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

word  of  command,  the  reins  being  dispensed  with 
as  soon  as  the  animal  had  learnt  to  associate  the 
word  with  the  movement.  Every  order  was  given  in 
the  same  level  tone  of  voice,  which  goes  to  disprove 
Fillis's  theory  that  a  horse  cannot  understand  the 
words  of  an  order,  but  only  the  tone  in  which  it  is 
spoken.  There  was  no  picking  and  choosing  about 
this  horse's  parents. 

Another  instance  was  that  of  a  mare  called 
Trixie,2  who  performed  at  the  Palace  Theater  in 
London  during  the  winters  of  1906-7-8,  and  perhaps 
furnished  an  example  of  the  highest  point  of  mental 
development  ever  reached  by  a  member  of  the  equine 
race.  She  could  spell,  add,  subtract,  multiply,  and 
divide,  work  a  cash  register,  and  pick  out  colored 
rags  at  the  call  of  the  audience  from  a  variegated 
heap  on  the  stage.  Mr.  Barnes,  her  owner  and 
trainer,  is  interesting  on  the  subject  of  her  educa- 
tion, and  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  intelligence  of  the 
horse.  His  mare,  who  was  three  parts  Arab,  was 
bred  for  brains,  her  dam,  sire  and  grand-dam  having 
been    famous    trick    performers.      From    the    time 

•^  Trixie   was  killed   in  a  railway  accident  in    America  (February 
1909). 


The  Horse's  Mind  211 

Trixie  was  a  filly  of  three  weeks  old  she  was  allowed 
to  run  in  and  out  of  her  master's  house  in  America 
like  a  dog,  and  was  the  constant  companion  and 
playmate  of  his  children ;  in  fact,  her  early  life  ran 
along  the  same  pleasant  lines  as  that  of  her  Arab 
ancestors.  She  was  twelve  years  old  in  1907,  and 
had  not  completed  her  education  until  two  years 
previously. 

Mr.  Barnes  first  conceived  the  idea  of  teaching  her 
to  spell  from  his  children.  They  had  four  alphabet 
letters  printed  on  large  blocks,  and  the  filly  learned 
to  pick  up  whichever  was  called  for.  Inspired  by  the 
Kindergarten  system,  after  ceaseless  effort  and  un- 
wearying patience  Mr.  Barnes  taught  her  to  spell  al- 
most any  word  by  syllables,  showing  that  she  really 
associated  the  sound  of  the  word  with  the  letters 
that  form  it.  This  was  proved  by  her  occasional 
lapses  into  very  phonetic  or  Rooseveltian  spelling. 

She  then  learnt  the  result  of  every  simple  com- 
bination of  multiplication,  division,  addition,  and 
subtraction  up  to  the  numeral  nine.  Space  does  not 
admit  of  going  fully  into  Mr.  Barnes's  method  of 
instruction  in  arithmetic,  but  he  gave  me  to  under- 
stand that  it  was  briefly  as  follows.    He  would  call 


212    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

out  to  the  mare,  "  3  minus  i,  Two,"  with  emphasis 
on  the  last  word,  and  would  discontinue  saying 
"  two "  when  Trixie  had  learnt  to  pick  up  that 
numeral  every  time  he  said  "  3  minus  i."  Eventu- 
ally she  committed  all  the  combinations  to  rnemory. 

Teaching  the  mare  to  distinguish  colors  Mr. 
Barnes  found  easier  than  the  foregoing.  As  soon  as 
the  initial  difficulty  of  fixing  her  attention  and  of 
making  her  "  take  notice  "  at  all  was  overcome,  he 
placed  two  colored  rags  on  the  ground,  and  taught 
the  mare  by  voice,  at  first  accompanied  by  sign,  to 
pick  out  the  one  called  for,  rewarding  or  punish- 
ing her  for  success  or  failure.  The  number  of  colors 
was  afterwards  increased,  and  Trixie  learnt  to  indi- 
cate the  shade  of  a  tie  or  of  a  lady's  hat. 

Count  Martinengo  Cesaresco  admits  that  a  horse 
can  be  taught  to  distinguish  between  red  and  white, 
but  his  method  of  instruction  is  rather  drastic.  He 
dresses  one  man  in  red  and  another  in  white,  makes 
the  red  man  beat  the  horse  and  the  white  man  caress 
him,  and  naively  adds  that  the  horse  soon  distin- 
guishes the  difference  in  color. 

Mr.  Barnes  claimed  for  Trixie  the  brain  of  a 
child  of  six  with  all  its  limitations.     She  frequently 


The  Horse's  Mind  213 

required  admonition  to  keep  her  to  business,  and  had 
learnt  to  remember  that  a  deep  sigh  from  her  master 
at  her  stupidity  was  the  calm  before  the  storm.  He 
never  fed  the  mare  himself,  and  unless  he  drove  her, 
which  he  did  through  London  traffic  without  reins, 
she  was  exercised  by  his  groom,  of  whom  she  had 
no  opinion  whatever,  as  he  was  not  allowed  to  cor- 
rect her. 

A  committee  of  experts  met  in  1907  with  the 
object  of  establishing  or  disposing  of  the  mare's 
claim  to  responsive  intelligence,  her  detractors  as- 
serting that  her  feats  were  performed  by  means  of  a 
trick.  She  had  just  recovered  from  a  severe  attack 
of  pneumonia,  and  after  tests  lasting  over  an  hour 
and  a  half  she  showed  such  fatigue  that  the  com- 
mittee released  her,  and  endeavored  to  come  to  a 
decision.  Though  a  majority  was  in  favor  of  credit- 
ing the  mare  with  responsive  intelligence,  no  under- 
standing could  be  arrived  at,  as  the  remaining  mem- 
bers of  the  committee  were  strongly  adverse  to  their 
decision,  and  the  inquiry  was  adjourned  for  further 
examination. 

I  believe  in  the  genuineness  of  the  mare's  attain- 
ments ;  if  the  show  had  been  trick-work  on  the  part 


214    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

of  the  owner,  it  would  perhaps  have  been  more  won- 
derful, but  would  hardly  have  stood  the  test  of  so 
many  performances.  Somebody  was  invariably  on 
the  stage  with  the  avowed  intention  of  detecting  Mr. 
Barnes's  methods,  and  no  one  appears  to  have  done 
so. 

No  ordinary  man  would  wish  to  teach  his  horse 
multiplication  even  if  he  felt  able  to  do  so,  but  for 
obvious  reasons  a  horse  is  more  useful  and  a  safer 
conveyance  if  he  is  obedient  to  the  voice.  Trixie's 
wonderful  brain  development  must  in  great  measure 
be  attributed  to  her  early  life  and  surroundings. 

There  are  many  other  examples  of  cleverness  in 
horses,  and  General  Tweedie,  in  his  book  ''  The 
Arab  and  his  Horse,"  tells  us  that  the  traveler  be- 
tween Bagdad  and  the  Caspian  used  to  strap  his 
portmanteau  across  the  back  of  a  galloping  post- 
horse,  which  immediately  started  off  alone  for  the 
next  station,  and  delivered  the  baggage  safely.  Ac- 
cording to  Hayes,  Rockefeller  and  Sample  used  to 
drive  horses  without  reins,  and  had  them  under  per- 
fect control. 

Thormanby  and  many  other  waiters  quote  cases 
of  which  they  had  personal  knowledge ;  in  fact,  there 


The  Horse's  Mind  215 

is  ample  evidence  not  only  to  show  that  the  horse's 
mind  can  be  developed  if  time  and  trouble  are  taken 
in  the  process,  but  that  the  results  fully  justify  the 
labor  expended.  Osmer  would  have  us  believe  that 
the  excellence  of  horses  is  altogether  mechanical  and 
not  in  the  blood;  others  believe  in  blood  only;  but 
surely  brains  must  and  do  count. 

There  is  another  reason  why  the  mind-training-  of 
horses  should  be  taken  up  and  encouraged,  and  that 
is  for  the  good  of  future  generations;  the  process 
must  necessarily  be  slow,  but  if  carried  out  system- 
atically "  stupid  "  horses  should  not  be  so  common  in 
the  future.  I  must  repeat  that  Trixie's  was  an  ex- 
ceptional case :  she  was  the  product  of  three  genera- 
tions of  the  higher  education. 


XIX 

AFFLIANCIiS  FOR  HORSE-TRAININO 


XIX 

APPLIANCES  FOR  HORSE-TRAININO 


"  That  which  is  new  is  only  that  which  has  been  forgotten." 

Translated  from  the  Russian. 


'nr^HE  British  Board  of  Agriculture  as  at  present 
constituted  only  came  into  existence  in  the 
year  1889.  It  might  with  advantage  have  collected 
information  on  the  subject  of  horse-training  for  dis- 
tribution amongst  breeders  and  farmers,  but  no 
official  reports  have  dealt  with  the  subject  as  far  as 
I  am  aware.  This  is  unfortunate,  as  scientific 
knowledge  in  this  branch  would  be  of  the  greatest 
use  to  the  agricultural  population;  it  would  lower 
the  percentage  of  horses  that  either  break  down  un- 
der training  or  become  intractable  from  improper 
treatment,  and  it  would  increase  the  value  of  those 
that  find  purchasers. 

A  study  of  equine  literature  reveals  our  happv- 

go-lucky  ways  in  this  important  matter,  in  particular 

219 


220    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

as  to  appliances  for  aiding  the  horse-trainer  in  his 
work,  several  of  which  were  well  known  in  past 
times,  and  after  falling  into  disuse  were  reintro- 
duced several  times  over  as  being  quite  new,  and 
often  of  the  author's  own  invention. 

To  simplify  description  I  will  classify  them  under 
two  heads,  namely,  appliances  used  on  foot,  and 
those  used  mounted  and  dismounted.  The  former 
include  long  reins,  the  cavesson  and  leading-rein, 
crosstrees,  the  crupper  leading-rein,  the  Commanche 
bridle,  side  reins,  the  strait-jacket,  the  Galvayne 
strap,  pillars  single  and  double,  the  Rarey  strap, 
throwing  gear,  the  crush,  the  cage,  the  iron-pointed 
pole,  the  plain  pole  and  the  longeing  whip.  After 
reading  some  of  the  above  names  it  will  hardly  sur- 
prise the  reader  to  be  told  that  early  writers  not  in- 
frequently alluded  to  appliances  as  "  engines,"  or 
"  utensils !  " 

In  the  second  category  are  the  rope  gag,  the  Aus- 
trian nose-band,  the  bearing-rein,  the  running  rein, 
the  martingale  standing  and  running,  the  cane,  two 
hand-whips  (to  be  used  simultaneously),  the  hand- 
spur,  the  mouthing,  and  various  other  bits  forming 
part  of  the  bridle,  and  the  saddle. 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  221 

Long  Reins. — *'  Long-rein  driving,"  or,  in  other 
words,  driving  a  colt  on  a  circle  or  in  a  straight  line 
with  a  pair  of  reins  or  ropes,  has  been  forgotten  and 
brought  in  as  a  new  art  several  times.  An  Austra- 
lian named  Galvayne  claims  that  he  introduced  the 
correct  and  scientific  way  of  using  the  long  reins 
into  England  in  the  'eighties,  and  he  certainly  was 
an  artist :  I  have  seen  him  at  work.  Hayes,  who 
was  lecturing  in  this  country  on  horse-training  at 
about  the  same  period,  states  that  he  learnt  their  use 
in  Ireland  from  a  Mr.  John  Hubert  Moore,  and  that 
this  gentleman  derived  his  knowledge  from  an  old 
Irish  breaker  named  Fallon,  who  was  born  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Hayes  also  seems 
to  infer  that  the  practice  was  unknown  in  England 
until  he  himself  introduced  it.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
an  English  gentleman  named  Mr.  Browne  used 
long  reins  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  in  1624 
wrote  a  book  entitled  "Browne,  his  Fifty  Years' 
Practice,  or  an  Exact  Discourse  Concerning  Snaffle- 
riding,  etc.,"  giving  the  way  of  carrying  out  long- 
rein  driving.  His  methods  must  have  been  practi- 
cally those  of  the  present  day,  as  he  is  careful  to  ex- 
plain :    "  Now  when  you  have  him  perfect  on  either 


222    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

hand  and  he  doth  set  his  trot  comely  and  stately,  you 
may  venture  to  set  a  saddle  on  him." 

Lord  Pembroke,  Sir  Sidney  Medows,  Freeman, 
and  Adams,  all  practised  long-rein  driving  in  vari- 
ous ways,  and  wrote  about  it  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  eighteenth  and  early  in  the  nineteenth  centuries, 
yet  Galvayne  and  Hayes  w^ere  both  able  to  tour  the 
country  and  make  a  financial  success  of  exhibiting  the 
practice  as  new  in  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth. 

About  twenty  years  after  Hayes's  demonstrations 
of  long-rein  driving  on  his  horse-breaking  tours,  his 
methods  w^ere  embodied  in  the  English  Cavalry 
Training  Manual.  The  appliance  is  now  in  general 
use  at  Netheravon ;  at  the  Woolwich  Riding  Estab- 
lishment it  is  employed  for  horses  which  cannot  be 
backed  or  are  refractory,  and  sometimes  for  teach- 
ing jumping,  but  every  riding  instructor  is  taught 
how  to  handle  the  reins.  I  understand  that  the 
Messrs.  Miller  have  very  generally  discarded  them. 

According  to  Berenger  this  appliance  was  well- 
known  on  the  Continent  at  a  much  earlier  period 
than  the  eighteenth  century,  but  it  is  not  used  abroad 
now,  nor  has  it  been  for  some  considerable  time. 

As  foreigners  look  upon  horse-training  as  more 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  223 

of  a  science  than  we  generally  do  in  this  country, 
their  abandonment  of  long-rein  driving  must  carry 
weight  in  assessing  the  value  of  the  appliance. 

The  advantages  that  it  offers  for  training  are  that 
the  horse  is  under  perfect  control  from  the  first ;  he 
can  be  exercised  and  disciplined  when  in  poor  con- 
dition, he  can  be  taught  to  go  true  on  either  foreleg 
at  a  canter,  and  to  jump.  Long  reins  afford  a  good 
means  of  gentling  horses  that  have  had  no  previous 
handling,  and  of  dealing  with  refractory  animals. 
The  disadvantages  which  apparently  led  to  the  prac- 
tice being  abandoned  for  some  time  are  that  the 
trainer  acts  on  a  foreign  fulcrum,  which  gives  him 
immense  power  and  is  likely  to  result  in  hard 
mouths.  The  reins  are  heavy,^  so  that  mechanical 
means  must  generally  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  keep 
the  animal's  head  in  the  correct  position.  Passing 
the  reins  through  supports,  or  even  through  the  stir- 
rups, certainly  lightens  the  weight  on  the  horse's 
mouth,  but  this  is  not  sufficient  to  prevent  the  head  in 
many  cases  from  being  carried  too  low,  with  the  nose 
too  much  tucked  in.     It  is  obviously  better  not  to 

1  Leather  long  reins  weigh  4  lbs.,  webbing  ones  2  J^,  and  rope  is  un- 
suitable for  the  purpose  as  it  is  liable  to  gall  a  horse,  especially  if  he 
breaks  away. 


224    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

constrain  the  movements  of  the  colt's  head  and  neck 
any  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary  in  the  initial 
stages,  even  if  his  conformation  is  hopelessly  bad, 
and  it  is  also  obvious  that  if  he  is  allowed  to  hang  his 
head  in  the  commencement  of  his  training,  the  rider 
will  have  more  trouble  afterwards  in  getting  him 
correctly  placed  and  balanced.  Bearing-reins  were 
found  necessary  in  the  past,  and  Hayes  advocates 
the  use  of  the  overhead  bearing-rein  attached  to  the 
nose-band.  This  does  not,  however,  lighten  the 
weight  on  the  mouth.  Put  a  harness  horse  into  the 
lead  of  a  coach  for  the  first  time,  and  you  will  find 
that  the  weight  of  the  reins,  although  supported, 
makes  him  chary  of  facing  the  bit. 

To  handle  long  reins  successfully  is  by  no  means 
easy,  and  requires  a  man  of  much  practice  and  ex- 
perience. When  I  first  saw  them  systematically  used 
in  horse-breaking,  I  was  much  taken  with  the  idea, 
and  have  before  now  written  in  their  praise; 
riper  experience  has  led  me  to  agree  with  Lord  Pem- 
broke, who  says  with  reference  to  working  on  foot : 
"  A  good  rider,  who  feels  every  motion  of  his  horse, 
must  act  with  more  precision,  delicacy,  and  exact- 
ness."   If  a  horse  has  been  properly  dealt  with  be- 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  225 

fore  the  time  of  training  arrives,  the  sooner  he  is 
backed  the  quicker  he  will  be  trained ;  the  mouth  is 
better  made  and  the  horse  more  quickly  balanced 
without  resorting  to  long  reins;  and  this  is  the 
general  practice  on  the  Continent. 

When  they  are  used,  the  horse  should  be  made 
to  circle  round  the  trainer,  the  outer  rein  being  held 
sufficiently  tight  to  keep  the  animal's  quarters  from 
flying  out.  Both  reins  should  be  supported  on 
the  horse's  back  about  trace-high,  and  the  first  time 
they  are  put  on  a  young  one  they  should  be  attached 
to  a  light  cavesson. 

Hayes  suggests  using  long  reins  for  teaching  rid- 
ing, in  order  to  relieve  the  tyro  of  the  control  of  his 
horse.  It  is  an  old  idea  which  was  practised  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  carries  no  advantages  over 
the  longeing  rein  in  common  use  abroad. 

The  Single  Rein  and  Cavesson. — The  single 
rein  needs  very  little  description.  It  is  simply  a  long 
rein  made  either  of  leather,  webbing,  or  cord,  with  a 
billet  at  one  end.  The  cavesson  is  a  head-collar  with 
an  iron  or  steel  nose-band  covered  with  leather  or 
cloth,  or  a  plain  leather  one,  on  the  front  of  which 
there  may  be  either  one  or  three  rings,  to  which  the 


226    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

long  rein  can  be  attached.  The  metal  nose-band  was 
introduced  to  facilitate  control  of  the  horse  by  jerk- 
ing the  rein  and  hurting  the  bridge  of  his  nose.  Al- 
though it  can  doubtless  be  used  by  an  experienced 
man  without  giving  unnecessary  pain,  it  is  a  very 
severe  instrument.  At  Saumur  I  saw  some  sixty 
horses  led  into  the  school  wearing  cavessons.  The 
reins  were  certainly  only  held  by  grooms,  but  nearly 
every  horse  flinched  occasionally  from  touches  with 
the  iron  nose-band,  whilst  they  were  simply  being 
walked  and  trotted  round.  This  brought  out  the 
severity  of  the  appliance,  as  the  nose-bands  were 
covered  with  felt  and  fitted  closely  round  the  nose 
to  make  them  as  mild  as  possible. 

The  French  use  the  single  rein  and  cavesson  with 
an  iron  nose-band  for  exercising  on  the  longe  and 
teaching  jumping;  they  claim  that  its  use  is  more 
than  justified  by  the  fact  that  the  horse  is  under  com- 
plete control  without  tampering  with  and  perhaps 
spoiling  his  mouth.  The  Austrians  have  discarded 
it,  and,  when  longeing  is  necessary,  buckle  the  rein 
to  a  ring  in  the  center  of  a  short  connecting-strap 
fastened  to  the  rings  of  the  snaffle.  In  conjunction 
with  this,  side  reins  attached  to  the  D's  on  the  saddle 


Appliances  tor  Morse-training  ^2i 

are  invariably  used,  and  a  noseband  fastened  below 
the  bit  if  required.  When  the  longe  is  employed 
for  teaching  the  beginner  to  ride,  the  nose-band  is 
discarded. 

Some  writers  recommend  longeing  the  horse  with 
the  rein  attached  to  one  side  of  the  bridle  only. 
There  can  be  no  question  that  the  practice  is  wrong; 
it  at  once  teaches  the  animal  to  lean  against  one  side 
of  the  bit  and  spoils  his  mouth.  Xenophon  laid 
down  that  the  young  horse  should  never  be  led  with 
the  hand  on  one  side  of  the  bridle  only  for  the  same 
reason,  and  it  naturally  follows  that  one-sided  longe- 
ing is  even  worse. 

The  cavesson  is  certainly  of  great  use  for  very 
young  horses,  as  they  are  weak,  and  therefore  easy 
of  control.  A  thick  leather  nose-band  will  then 
answer  the  purpose ;  it  offers  the  best  means  of  lead- 
ing a  young  horse  about,  which  is  the  simplest  act 
of  obedience  we  can  ask  of  him.  It  can  be  used  for 
schooling  a  horse  over  fences,  either  just  as  it  is  or 
with  the  addition  of  long  reins. 

Enthusiasts  for  two  reins  say  that  a  horse  will 
never  go  correctly  on  a  circle  on  one  only,  because 
the  head  is  pulled  in  and  the  quarters  driven  out- 


228    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

wards  by  the  whip;  this  state  of  affairs  is,  however, 
only  arrived  at  if  the  horse  circles  unwillingly  and 
the  whip  is  used  from  the  center  of  the  circle.  The 
young  horse  should  never  be  circled  at  a  trot  until 
he  moves  pleasantly  at  a  walk,  nor  should  the  canter 
be  attempted  before  he  goes  well  on  both  hands  at  a 
trot ;  he  will  learn  the  game  quickly  enough. 

Crosstrees  are  another  very  old  invention,  and 
are  designed  for  the  purpose  of  securing  bearing- 
reins  and  side  reins  at  various  heights  in  dismounted 
work.  Old-fashioned  country  trainers,  amongst 
others,  are  in  the  habit  of  leading  colts  about  with 
bearing-reins  attached  to  this  appliance ;  but  as  there 
is  no  give  and  take  in  the  reins  the  animal  eventually 
learns  to  lean  on  the  bit,  and  his  mouth  is  liable  to 
be  spolied  before  he  is  backed.  Rubber  reins  have 
been  tried  to  minimize  this  evil,  but  authorities  are 
not  in  agreement  as  to  their  efficacy.  Cesaresco  and 
Hayes  are  amongst  those  who  contend  that  rubber 
reins  have  a  diametrically  opposite  action  to  that  of 
good  hands.  Let  us  leave  it  at  this :  that  a  bearing- 
rein,  however  made  or  fixed,  can  in  no  way  imitate 
the  salutary  "feeling"  of  a  good  pair  of  hands; 
and  let  us  again  repeat,  with  reference  to  bearing- 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  229 

reins  and  side  reins,  that  the  less  the  head  is  forcibly 
controlled  at  this  early  stage  the  better.  Crosstree^ 
are  only  used  abroad  for  Haute  Ecole  training. 

In  the  event  of  the  horse  refusing  to  lead,  two  ap- 
pliances are  suggested — ^the  Crupper  Leading- 
Rein  and  the  Commanche  Bridle. 

The  crupper  leading-rein  can  be  improvised  by 
making  a  small  loop  in  the  center  of  a  long  piece 
of  rope,  which  is  applied  as  a  crupper,  and  passing 
the  two  ends  through  the  stirrup-leathers  and  on 
through  the  headstall  just  above  the  nose-band.  It 
will  sometimes  be  found  useful  in  leading  a  horse 
over  small  water  jumps  when  other  means  of  getting 
him  over  have  failed,  for  moving  an  obstinate  jibber, 
or  for  boxing  a  refractory  horse. 

A  description  of  the  Commanche  bridle  will  be 
found  in  Hayes's  "  Illustrated  Horse  Breaking  " ;  its 
action  gives  pain,  so  that  the  advantage  it  offers  is 
problematical. 

Several  writers,  both  English  and  foreign,  have 
invented  "  Strait-jackets  "  for  horses.  The  prin- 
ciple is  the  same  in  each  case:  the  horse's  legs  are 
encircled  with  a  rope  at  about  elbow  height,  in  order 
to  facilitate  handling.    The  appliance  was  in  use  in 


^30    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

the  sixteenth  century,  but  was  introduced  as  new  by 
M.  Raabe  (amongst  others)  compartively  recently. 
It  should  never  be  needed  in  a  country  like  England, 
where  horses  are  bred  in  domesticity. 

The  next  appliance  we  come  to  is  the  Galvayne 
Strap,  to  connect  the  head-collar  to  the  horse's  tail. 
A  piece  of  rope  will  generally  answer  the  purpose. 
When  a  horse  is  tied  in  this  manner  he  can  only 
move  in  a  circle  and  soon  tires,  which  makes  sub- 
jugation simple.  Jennings,  writing  in  1866,  men- 
tions this  as  a  common  practice ;  both  Galvayne  and 
Sample  are  credited  with  introducing  it  into  Eng- 
land, but  the  idea  was  not  original.  Tying  the  tail- 
hairs  to  the  bridle  was  written  about  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  doubtless  practised  long  before  that 
date.  It  teaches  the  horse  nothing,  and  its  effect  is 
only  temporary;  as  previously  mentioned,  the  long 
reins  are  useful  for  gentling  when  necessary,  and  if 
a  horse  cannot  be  disciplined  without  them  he  had 
better  be  sold. 

Modern  authors  do  not  advocate  the  use  of 
"  Pillars,"  another  appliance  consisting  of  two 
posts  a  short  distance  apart,  between  which  the 
horse  is  placed  and  attached  by  the  reins.     They 


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Appliances  for  Horse-training         23X 

have  been  a  great  deal  used  in  the  past,  not  only  for 
Haute  Ecole  work,  but  for  getting  the  horse's 
hocks  under  him  by  driving  him  up  to  the  bit  with  a 
whip.  They  are  used  in  France  now  to  train  "  Sau- 
teurs,"  and  in  France  and  Austria  to  train  Haute 
Ecole  horses  in  exercises  such  as  the  "  cour- 
bette"  (Plate  XXI)  and  the  "  croupade  "  (Plate 
XXH).  The  originator  of  the  idea  seems  to  have 
been  Eumenes,  who  when  besieged  at  the  fort 
of  Nora  by  Antigonus,  bridled  his  horses  in  the  sta- 
ble and  attached  the  reins  to  pulleys  in  the  roof,  and 
requisitioned  people  to  lash  them  with  whips  from 
behind.  He  thus  gave  them  exercise,  and  taught 
them  to  what  Berenger  calls  "  yerk  "  out  behind, 
the  consequence  being  that  when  the  siege  was  raised 
his  horses  were  in  condition  and  fit  for  service  in  the 
field. 

A  Neapolitan  named  Pignatelli  is  credited  with 
the  invention  of  pillars.  He  was  the  most  famous 
horseman  of  his  time,  and  published  a  work  called 
"  Ludus  Equestris  "  in  1520.  Two  pupils  of  Pigna- 
telli's  named  Broue  and  Pluvinel  first  introduced 
the  pillars  into  France,  and  until  the  time  of  Bour- 
gelat  (1750)  they  appear  to  have  been  in  general 


232    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

use  abroad.  Bourgelat,  whose  prestige  and  in- 
fluence carried  great  weight  in  the  horse  world, 
would  have  none  of  them,  asserting  that  the  rider's 
legs  were  the  best  pillars. 

The  Single  Pillar,  much  favored  by  the  first 
Duke  of  Newcastle,  was  employed  for  the  same 
purposes  as  the  double  pillars,  but  according  to  his- 
tory it  was  never  popular,  as  it  only  served  to 
fatigue  and  harass  the  horse.  In  Australia  they  tie 
the  freshly-caught  horse  to  a  tree  with  tackle  he 
cannot  break,  as  his  first  lesson  in  submission,  and 
the  single  pillar  was  used  for  a  like  end.  In  Amer- 
ica it  is  well  named  the  "  snubbing  post." 

The  Rarey  Strap. — Rarey,  a  farmer  from 
Ohio,  came  to  England  in  1856  to  give  practical 
demonstrations  of  his  new  method  of  taming  and 
training  horses.  Subscribers  anxious  to  know  his 
secret  and  to  be  shown  his  appliances  presented  him 
with  over  £15,000.  He  had  come  to  tell  them  how 
to  strap  a  horse's  leg  up  and  throw  him.  The  secre- 
tary of  the  first  subscription  list  naively  remarked 
that  Rarey  had  reinvented  what  was  known  some 
fifty  years  before,  and  he  might  have  added,  some 
hundreds  of  years  ago.   Amongst  others,  Mr.  Browne 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  233 

(1624)  gives  a  drawing  of  a  horse  with  his  leg  tied 
up  for  the  purpose  of  subjugation,  and  Hayes  tells 
us  that  Rarey's  methods  are  clearly  shown  in  the 
collection  of  Graeco-Scythic  art  in  St.  Petersburg. 
Shortly  before  Rarey's  arrival  in  England  one 
Frank  Holding  appears  to  have  practised  something 
of  the  same  sort.  No  special  straps  are  necessary 
for  tying  up  a  horse's  foreleg;  it  can  be  done  with 
a  stirrup-leather.  The  result  of  doing  so  is  that  in 
time  the  horse  gets  tired  out  from  standing  on  three 
legs,  and  horse  trainers  should  bear  this  in  mind, 
not  for  general  use,  but  to  deal  with  exceptional 
cases.  Captain  Morley  Knight  (author  of  "  Hints 
on  Driving")  gives  it  as  a  cure  for  jibbing  in 
harness. 

There  are  several  different  kinds  of  Throwing 
Gear,  but  most  horses  can  be  taught  to  lie  down  in 
the  following  manner : — 

Strap  up  the  near  fore  with  a  stirrup  leather, 
taking  care  that  the  buckle  is  on  the  inside,  and  that 
the  foot,  when  held  up,  is  outside  the  horse^s  fore- 
arm. Take  a  long  leather  strap  with  a  loop  at  the 
end,  and  tie  it  round  the  off  fore-pastern.  Stand 
on  the  near  side  of  the  horse,  holding  the  end  of  the 


234    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

strap  in  the  hand,  and  tap  the  horse  gently  on  the 
off  fore  just  below  the  knee.  Then  pull  at  the  strap, 
saying  "  Down !  "  at  the  same  time :  the  horse  will 
soon  learn  to  go  down  on  his  knees  and  lie  down  as 
he  does  in  the  stable. 

To  throw  a  horse  without  any  special  appliance, 
act  as  follows : — 

Strap  up  the  near  fore  as  before.  Standing  on 
the  near  side,  take  up  both  reins  in  the  left  hand, 
the  right  rein  shorter  so  as  to  bend  the  horse's  head 
to  the  right ;  place  the  left  hand  on  the  withers  and 
catch  hold  of  the  back  part  of  the  saddle  with  the 
right;  then  with  both  hands  put  a  little  weight  on 
to  the  horse  and  pull  slightly  backwards :  he  will 
go  down,  but  not  always  without  a  struggle,  and  as 
often  as  not  his  hind-quarters  will  touch  ground 
first.  This  method,  which  is  given  in  the  Cavalry 
Manual  1907,  is  best  kept  for  a  punishment. 

Between  the  stockyards  in  Australia  there  is 
often  a  narrow,  high-railed  passage;  when  the  horse 
enters  it  the  doors  are  let  down  in  front  of  and 
behind  him,  and  he  can  be  head-collared  and 
handled  at  will.    This  contrivance  is  called  a  Crush, 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  235 

and  is  extremely  useful  in  dealing  with  untamed 
animals. 

Sample  patented  a  revolving  box  or  Cage,  to 
subdue  wild  horses  in ;  it  was  not  a  success. 

The  Iron-pointed  Pole  and  the  Hand-spur 
were  employed  in  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries  to  teach  horses  the  *'  courbette "  and 
*'  croupade,"  and  a  plain  ash-pole  has  frequently 
been  in  use  with  which  to  stroke  down  a  horse  that 
was  too  wild  to  approach.  Galvayne  calls  it  a 
''  third  hand." 

The  Longeing  Whip,  which  should  be  made  light 
enough  for  one-handed  work,  should  generally  be 
carried  when  long-rein  driving,  but  the  less  it  is 
used  the  better.  Riding  masters  in  the  old  days, 
when  instructing  a  ride  of  recruits,  were  fond  of 
using  the  "  chambriere,"  as  it  is  called  in  the  school, 
and  did  a  great  deal  of  harm  with  it.  It  frightened 
the  pupil  when  his  horse  was  hit,  and  it  alarmed 
the  horses  in  the  ride  so  much  that  many  would  not 
leave  the  side  of  the  school  for  fear  of  it. 

The  Rope  Gag  or  Twitch  is  an  old  invention, 
and  can  either  be  made  of  a  halter  or  with  a  piece 
of  rope.     The  gag  can  be  applied  under  the  upper 


236    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

lip  or  in  the  mouth.  It  has  the  great  advantage  over 
the  ordinary  twitch  that  pain  need  only  be  inflicted 
on  the  animal  at  the  necessary  moment;  with  the 
ordinary  twitch  it  is  of  course  constant.  The  ap- 
pliance may  sometimes  be  useful  for  disciplinary 
purposes  when  other  measures  have  failed. 

The  Austrian  Nose-band,  or  Wischzaum, 
which  is  attached  below  the  bit,  and  is  supposed  to 
have  been  brought  out  by  von  Oeynhausen,  author 
of  several  works  on  equine  matters,  is  in  constant 
use  in  Austrian  and  German  training  schools.  It  is 
undoubtedly  the  best  form  of  nose-band  for  training 
purposes  when  the  employment  of  any  is  indicated. 
Any  sort  of  fixed  nose-band,  if  tight,  carries  with  it 
the  following  disadvantage,  which  is  clearly  brought 
out  by  Cesaresco,  namely,  that  it  impedes  the  move- 
ment of  the  lower  jaw  and  thus  partially  stops  the 
flow  of  saliva.  Salivation  is  like  oil  to  machinery, 
and  prevents  the  mouth  from  becoming  irritated. 
The  nose-band  certainly  increases  the  power  of  the 
hands. 

The  Bearing-rein,  either  over-head  or  ordinary, 
can  be  attached  to  the  saddle  for  mounted  work :  its 
disadvantages  have  already  been  dealt  with. 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  237 

The  Running-rein  was  another  appHance  much 
favored  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and  the 
commencement  of  the  nineteenth  centuries,  Tyndale 
(1797)  assuring  us  that  it  was  an  excellent  contri- 
vance for  raising  and  placing  a  horse's  head  when 
he  carried  it  too  low,  whereas  Skeene  (1807)  ad- 
vised it  for  the  exact  opposite.  We  learn  from  me- 
chanics that,  putting  friction  aside,  the  running-rein 
doubles  the  power  of  the  rider's  hands,  and  however 
useful  on  occasion  this  may  be  on  a  made  horse,  the 
principle  is  fundamentally  wrong  for  the  making  of 
his  mouth.  It  should  be  the  trainer's  aim  gradually 
to  make  the  colt  respond  to  the  slightest  touch  of  the 
reins,  and  not  to  haul  at  an  improvised  system  of 
pulley. 

Martingales  are  of  two  sorts,  running  and 
standing;  opinions  are  more  divided  on  the  value  of 
this  appliance  than  on  that  of  any  other.  Some 
fine  cross-country  riders  will  seldom  be  without  a 
standing  martingale  on  practically  every  horse,  and 
amongst  these  may  be  mentioned  Colonel  Rivers 
Bulkeley,  the  late  Empress  of  Austria's  hunting 
pilot.  We  may  take  it  as  an  axiom  that  some 
horses  are  so  constructed  about  the  head  and  neck 


238    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

that  in  spite  of  any  amount  of  training,  absolute 
control  and  perfect  guidance  can  only  be  assured 
by  the  use  of  the  martingale,  and  that  the  running 
one,  when  properly  fitted,  interferes  in  no  way  with 
the  horse's  ordinary  movements  and  is  therefore 
harmless.  When,  however,  it  comes  to  tying  the 
animal's  head  down  so  that  he  cannot  freely  use  it 
for  balance,  and  then  asking  him  to  move  on  any- 
thing but  level  ground,  we  are,  theoretically  at  any 
rate,  working  him  under  disadvantageous  con- 
ditions. 

The  advantages  of  the  Cane  over  the  whip  have 
been  dealt  with  in  the  section  on  the  whip ;  and  the 
Hand-spur  has  been  mentioned  earlier  in  this  one. 

Two  Hand-whips  have  been  used  by  one  man  in 
working  horses  on  foot  and  mounted,  and  the  idea 
has  been  reintroduced  by  several  authors.  The  first 
Duke  of  Newcastle  used  them  in  conjunction  with 
the  single  pillar  for  teaching  Haute  Ecole  riding, 
and  in  the  sixteenth  century  they  were  held  one  in 
each  hand  for  mounted  training  work.  Hayes  re- 
introduced them  for  this  purpose.  I  can  see  no  ob- 
ject in  using  them  for  either  purpose. 

I  wish  as  much  as  possible  to  avoid  going  over 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  239 

old  ground,  and  do  not  therefore  intend  to  enter 
fully  into  the  big  subject  of  Bits,  which  Dwyer 
has  treated  scientifically  in  his  work  "  Seats  and 
Saddles,"  should  the  reader  care  to  turn  to  it. 
Faulty  methods  of  training  must  to  a  great  extent 
be  held  responsible  for  the  many  bits  now  on  sale, 
but  compared  with  those  of  one  hundred  years  ago 
they  are,  generally  speaking,  mild.  Doubtless  we 
must  thank  hunting  for  this.  Excepting  for  flat- 
racing,  and  for  hunting  in  most  parts  of  Ireland, 
we  may  take  it  that  the  ordinary  double  bridle  is 
serviceable  enough,  and,  as  Head  has  it,  the 
smoother  the  bit  the  more  willingly  will  the  animal 
submit  to  it.  A  thick  leather  strap  may  often  with 
advantage  be  substituted  for  the  curb-chain.  A 
good  rider  on  a  well-balanced  horse  will  probably 
require  no  special  bit,  unless  the  animal  has  ac- 
quired the  habit  of  getting  his  tongue  over  it,  but 
the  common  gag  is  a  most  useful  bit  for  re-training 
a  "  spoilt  "  horse  who  carries  his  head  too  low. 
In  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  centuries  it  was  ad- 
vocated for  the  purpose  of  raising  all  young  horses' 
heads,  apparently  whether  they  needed  it  or  not. 
In  1832  Don  Juan  Segundo  issued  a  pamphlet  on 


240    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

bits,  and  in  it  asserted  that  a  great  many  horses 
were  set  aside  in  our  Cavalry  as  having  lost  all 
feeling  in  their  mouths.  That  they  were  unfit  for 
use  he  put  down  entirely  to  the  imperfection  of  the 
regulation  bit.  Colonel  Taylor,  who  then  com- 
manded the  Cavalry  Riding  Establishment  at  Can- 
terbury, agreed  with  Segundo,  and  recommended 
the  following  issue  of  105  bits  per  squadron  of 
100  horses: — 

5   for  very  hard  mouths; 
45  for  hard  mouths; 
25  for  good  mouths; 

8  for  very  tender  mouths; 
12  for  star-gazers; 
10  for  borers. 

No  more  severe  indictment  could  have  been 
framed  on  the  horsemanship  and  training  of  the 
day,  but  we  must  not  forget  that  the  straight-legged 
seat  was  then  the  rule,  and  that  more  often  than 
not  the  horse  had  to  balance  the  rider  at  the  expense 
of  his  own  balance.  I  must  again  repeat  that 
the  conditions  were  altogether  different  from  those 
obtaining  on  the  Plains  of  America,  where  riding 


Appliances  for  Horse-training  241 

in  this  fashion  was  usually  a  habit  acquired  in  early 
youth. 

And  here  let  me  beg  the  reader  not  to  bind  him- 
self to  the  iron  rule  that  a  horse  should  do  every- 
thing perfectly  on  a  snaffle  before  ever  a  double 
bridle  is  put  into  his  mouth.  When  once  he  under- 
stands the  meaning  of  the  bridle  the  rider  must 
use  his  discretion;  the  ill-balanced  horse  will  often 
"  make  "  more  quickly  in  a  double  bit  and  finish 
with  a  better  mouth  if  it  is  used  judiciously. 

It  has  not  been  altogether  pleasant  to  write  about 
appliances,  as  it  has  been  necessary  to  speak  lightly 
of  many  which  have  been  used  successfully  by 
masters  of  the  equine  world.  These  men  often  had 
to  deal  with  wild  and  almost  untamable  animals, 
such  as  we  fortunately  meet  with  but  rarely  now,  at 
any  rate  in  England. 

If  the  horse  has  been  properly  handled  at  first, 
and  comes  into  a  trainer's  hands  who  is  a  good 
horseman  and  knows  his  work,  all  the  appliances  he 
is  likely  to  use  are  a  saddle,  a  snaffle,  a  double 
bridle,  a  cane  stick,  and  possibly  spurs. 


XX 

EARLV  DATS 


XX 

EARLY  DAYS 

"  Horses  are  taught  not  by  harshness  but  by  gentleness." 

Xenophon. 

•'The  grand  thing  is  to  get  rid  of  dogged  sulks  and  coltishness — of 
that  wayward,  swerving,  hesitating  gait,  which  says,  'Here's  my  foot, 
and  there's  my  foot,'  or  '  There  is  a  lion  in  the  street  and  I  cannot  go 
forth!'"  Greenwood. 

T?REQUENT  handling  from  foalhood  onwards 
is  of  the  first  importance.  A  horse  is  not 
conscious  of  his  own  powers  until  he  gets  the  better 
of  his  trainer,  and  the  best  way  to  keep  him  ignorant 
of  them  is  to  teach  him  to  obey  when  he  is  young  and 
weak.  The  Arab  has  always  led  the  way  in  this 
early  education.  His  horse  is  brought  up  with  his 
children  and  is  spoken  to  as  if  he  were  a  human 
being.  Countries  such  as  Norway,  where  the  se- 
verity of  the  climate  obliges  the  farmer  to  house 
his  ponies  during  the  winter,  follow  the  Arab's  lead 
to  a  certain  extent,  and  much  less  difficulty  is  ex- 
perienced when  serious  training  commences ;  but  up 

245 


246    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
remainder  of  Europe  paid  very  little  attention  to 
the  early  handling  of  horses,  and  most  people  in 
England  are  still  much  behindhand  in  the  matter. 
Doubtless  the  openness  of  the  country,  which  ad- 
mitted of  the  colt  running  practically  wild,  in- 
creased the  difficulties  in  days  gone  by. 

The  evils  resulting  from  the  neglect  of  early 
handling  in  the  past  induced  trainers  to  try  to  over- 
come them  by  cruelty  to  the  horse.  Starving,  the 
twitch,  bleeding,  tying  the  tail  down,  putting  shot 
into  the  ears,  drugging,  and  sewing  the  ears 
together  were  amongst  the  tortures  resorted  to  to 
obtain  mastery.  The  Duke  of  Newcastle,  thougTi 
he  did  not  advocate  such  practices,  wrote  that  "  the 
horse  is  such  a  cunning  creature  in  his  opposition 
to  man  that  he  should  be  ruled  by  fear." 

Nolan,  quoting  from  a  work  published  in  1664, 
gives  an  example  of  how  equine  intelligence  and 
friendship  to  man  were  treated  three  hundred  years 
ago.  A  Neapolitan  called  Pietro,  who  possessed  a 
pony  that  would  lie  down,  kneel  and  perform  other 
tricks  at  his  bidding,  was  burnt  with  his  pony  after 
giving  a  performance  at  Aries,  the  people  being 


Early  Days  247 

convinced  that  both  man  and  animal  were  in  league 
with  the  evil  one.  Early  association  should  spell 
early  friendship ;  and  a  young  horse  must  be  treated 
with  the  same  care  and  gentleness  as  a  child,  always 
remembering  that  both  must  be  subject  to  correc- 
tion, and  this  poHcy  towards  him  will  allow  of  his 
mind  being  developed  to  the  best  advantage. 

Time  is  a  great  consideration  to  the  small  Eng- 
lish horsebreeder ;  but  he  does  not  labor  under  the 
same  disadvantages  as  did  his  ancestors.  Odd  mo- 
ments spent  in  the  pleasant  occupation  of  gentling 
the  colt  will  save  much  anxiety  and  some  loss  from 
lameness  and  accidents,  which  often  result  from 
keeping  '*  wild  "  colts  on  the  farm.  The  Irishman 
is  a  long  way  ahead  of  the  Englishman  in  this 
respect.  It  is  at  this  stage  that  the  single  long  rein 
and  leather  cavesson  are  invaluable.  The  young 
horse  should  be  led  about,  and  should  be  allowed, 
in  Rarey's  words,  to  "  see,  smell,  and  touch  with 
the  nose  "  anything  that  is  strange  to  him.  If  this 
is  carefully  carried  out  he  should  never  become 
that  abomination  to  either  the  rider  or  the  driver,  a 
shyer.  If  the  colt  is  really  afraid  of  anything  that 
he  meets,  and  which  is  moving  towards  him,  turn 


24-8   Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

his  head  away  from  it  and  look  away  from  it  your- 
self. The  last  point  is  most  important;  when  the 
colt  discovers  that  the  object  of  his  distrust  does 
not  hurt  him  and  that  his  trainer  takes  no  notice 
of  it,  he  will  soon  learn  to  let  it  pass  him,  either 
when  he  is  on  the  move  or  is  standing  still  and 
facing  it.  Shyers  are  manufactured  by  being  seized 
by  the  head  and  made  to  face  objects  which  are 
strange  to  them. 

With  infinite  patience  the  colt  should  be  taught 
to  stand  still,  to  move  forward,  and  to  come  to  the 
trainer  when  called.  He  should  learn  to  lift  his 
legs  in  turn,  so  that  the  first  visit  to  the  blacksmith's 
shop  will  not  come  as  a  surprise.  Hand  feeding 
with  sugar  and  other  delicacies  promotes  early 
friendship,  and  what  Cesaresco  calls  "  caresses  on 
the  eyes  and  occiput  "  produce  a  soothing  and  mag- 
netic effect. 

Dodge  gives  us  a  delightful  picture  of  the  perfect 
methods  of  kindness  obtaining  at  Governor  Leland 
Stanford's  farm  at  Palo  Alto.  Anybody  ill-treating 
the  horses  was  instantly  dismissed;  but  the  colts 
were  early  given  a  respect  for  authority,  and  were 


h4 


Early  Days  249 

not  allowed  to  "  fool "  when  they  were  being 
handled. 

In  his  third  year  the  youngster  should  be  made  to 
carry  about  a  sack  with  a  certain  weight  in  it,  and 
should  be  taught  to  take  the  bit,  and,  if  intended 
for  a  hunter,  to  negotiate  small  jumps  at  liberty.  A 
colt  thus  handled  should  give  the  trainer  no  trouble 
when  he  has  to  mount  him,  and  he  will  not,  as  Mr. 
Browne  wrote,  "  have  to  venture  in  God's  name  to 
put  over  his  leg,"  as  if  he  were  undertaking  some- 
thing altogether  too  perilous. 

Good  large  runs  on  undulating  pasture  and  in- 
cluding a  certain  amount  of  rough  ground  are  every- 
thing to  the  youngster,  and  teach  him  to  use  his 
hocks  and  shoulders.  Animals  reared  in  small  flat 
paddocks,  as  are  so  many  of  our  thoroughbreds, 
start  their  education  at  a  disadvantage  from  the 
point  of  view  of  general  utility. 

At  Elvaston  Castle,  jumping-lanes  (Plate 
XXIII),  with  obstacles  suited  to  the  ages  of  the 
young  ones,  connect  Lord  Harrington's  paddocks 
with  the  night  sheds.  When  the  colts  are  released 
in  the  morning  they  reach  the  paddocks  by  way  of 
the  jumping-lanes,  and  it  is  a  pretty  sight  to  see  each 


250    ModernRidingand  Horse  Education 

lot,  according  to  age,  bunch  themselves  together  and 
go  over  their  course.  These  young  horses  require 
very  little  schooling  over  fences  when  serious  work 
commences. 


XXI 

FURTHER  TRAINING 


XXI 

FURTHER  TRAINING 

"... so  is  my  horse  ; 

It  is  a  creature  that  I  train  to  fight, 
To  wind,  to  stop,  to  run  directly  on. 
His  corporal  motion  governed  by  my  spirit." 

— Shakespeare, /»//«j  Ccesar. 

IX/TANY  writers  give  us  the  time  in  years  or 
months  which  the  training  of  a  horse  occu- 
pies, some  even  stating  the  exact  number  of  days 
required,  varying  from  seventy-five  to  one.  De 
Mauleon,  in  his  "  Methode  de  Dressage,"  says  that 
he  has  been  able  to  break  four  horses  in  one  day, 
to  obey  all  the  aids  and  go  in  harness.  I  feel  per- 
sonally unable  to  make  any  pronouncement  on  the 
subject,  or  even  to  recommend  any  particular  course 
of  lessons  for  a  young  horse;  the  length  of  time 
must  vary  according  as  the  animal  is  well  built, 
and  therefore  perfectly  balanced,  or  the  reverse. 
It  must,  however,  be  harmful  to  hurry  any  young 

horse's  education.     Other  points  to  be  weighed  in 

»S3 


254    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

assessing  the  necessary  time  are  the  character  of 
the  trainer,  the  disposition  of  the  horse,  his  age,  and 
his  fitness  for  the  work  in  hand. 

The  personal  element  is  the  leading  factor  in 
horse  training.  One  of  the  best  trainers  I  ever  saw, 
though  he  rode  "  well  enough,"  was  by  no  means  a 
fine  horseman.  Yet  he  had  "  a  way  with  him," 
and  always  seemed  to  follow  the  least  line  of  resist- 
ance by  instinct;  he  was  friends  with  a  difficult 
horse  in  a  very  short  time  and  a  **  kind  "  one  under- 
stood him  at  once. 

There  are  many  systems  advocated  for  horse 
training,  yet  none  of  these  holds  the  field,  which  I 
believe  to  be  simply  for  the  above  reason,  namely, 
that  the  personal  factor  is  supreme,  and  that  as  long 
as  the  man  has  an  intimate  knowledge  of  horses 
and  what  they  should  do  and  and  be  w^hen  he  has 
finished  with  them,  he  will  train  them  as  perfectly 
as  circumstances  permit  on  any  system,  modifying 
his  procedure  to  suit  individual  cases. 

English  and  American  horses  certainly  have  char- 
acters, and  the  better  they  are  bred  the  more  marked 
will  these  be.  General  Brocklehurst,  master  of  the 
Cottesmore  hounds,  writes  to  me  that  the  best  com- 


P'lirther  Training  255 

pliment  he  ever  heard  paid  to  EngHsh  and  Irish  hor- 
ses came  from  Mr.  Blackman,  the  dealer  in  Knights- 
bridge  (London),  who  remarked  that  he  bought 
Continental  carriage  horses  by  preference,  because 
when  he  got  two  animals  alike  in  color,  shape,  and 
action  he  had  a  pair,  whereas  two  perfectly  matched 
English  or  Irish  horses  would  probably  turn  out  to 
be  utterly  unlike  in  character  and  it  would  be  use- 
less to  put  them  together. 

There  are,  however,  certain  general  principles 
now  followed  by  all  scientific  modern  trainers, 
namely : 

That  free  forward  movement  should  be  the  first 
aim  of  the  trainer;  this  is  the  easiest  exercise  for 
the  horse  and  the  least  trying  to  his  temper.  He 
thus  learns  to  accustom  himself  to  the  new  condi- 
tions (i.  e.,  carrying  a  weight  above  and  behind  his 
center  of  gravity)  in  the  easiest  possible  manner, 
and  acquires  freedom  of  action  at  the  same  time, 
before  any  interference  with  his  movements  can 
have  put  him  in  any  doubt  as  to  what  his  rider  re- 
quires of  him.  Good  fast  walkers  are  not  as  com- 
mon as  they  should  be,  and  one  of  the  reasons  for 
this  may  well  be  that  in  their  anxiety  for  results 


256    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

trainers  generally  try  collected  work  too  soon  when 
the  horse  is  mounted. 

Another  principle  is  that  the  animal  must  be 
taught  to  move  his  neck  forward  as  well  as  back- 
ward at  the  will  of  his  rider,  or  he  will  not  answer 
to  the  term  "  balanced."  He  must  learn  to  break 
into  a  canter  or  gallop  from  a  walk,  to  jump  freely, 
to  collect  himself  suddenly,  and  to  turn  on  his 
hocks.  This  may  be  termed  the  second  part  of  his 
training,  in  which  the  correct  and  frequent  use  of 
the  leg  in  combination  with  the  lightest  of  hands  is 
everything.  Theoretical  knowledge,  though  essen- 
tial if  the  trainer  is  to  achieve  success  in  this  second 
part,  is  useless  without  practical  experience.  A 
corollary  to  this  second  principle  is  that  the  horse 
must  learn  to  answer  at  once  to  the  bridle  without 
either  fighting  it  or  running  back  from  it.  A  third 
principle  is  that  the  animal  must  never  be  overtired ; 
a  ''  stale  "  horse  can  learn  nothing. 

Some  experts  advise  beginning  the  work  on  foot, 
teaching  the  horse  to  answer  first  to  a  snaffle  and 
then  to  a  double  bit  by  holding  the  reins  above  the 
withers.  When  necessary  they  employ  a  second 
man  to  stand  behind  the  horse  with  a  long  whip  in 


Further  Training  257 

order  to  prevent  him  from  "  running  back  from  the 
bridle.'*  The  meaning  of  the  leg  is  taught  at  the 
same  time  by  taps  with  a  cane  on  the  animal's  side. 
As  long  as  this  method  is  confined  to  teaching  him 
the  meaning  of  the  bridle  it  answers  well. 

Baucher,  the  great  master  of  Haute  Ecole,  in- 
troduced a  system  of  training  on  foot  the  basis  of 
which  was  to  supple  the  horse's  head  and  neck  in 
such  a  manner  that  when  first  mounted  he  would 
move  collectedly.  Fillis,  a  disciple  of  Baucher*s, 
improved  upon  the  latter's  methods  by  insisting  on 
a  higher,  though  still  a  practically  perpendicular 
carriage  of  the  head.  The  two  main  features  of  the 
system  advocated  by  these  high-school  riders  may 
be  classed  under  the  heads  of  direct  flexion,  i.  e., 
bending  the  horse's  head  in  towards  his  chest,  and 
lateral  flexion,  i.  e.,  bending  the  upper  part  of  the 
neck  from  one  side  to  the  other.  I  have  endeavored 
to  show  in  the  section  on  "  What  to  Teach  "  how 
the  general  utility  of  the  animal  will  suffer  if  we 
train  him  to  adopt  an  unnatural  profile — that  is  to 
say,  to  move  with  his  neck  arched  and  his  nose 
tucked  in  to  an  exaggerated  extent,  and  would  here 
warn  the  reader  who  wishes  to  use  direct  flexion  that 


258    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

he  should  do  very  little  of  it,  and  that  only  in  the 
second  stage  of  the  horse's  education. 

Baucher  worked  at  direct  flexion  with  the  horse 
stationary  at  first  and  then  reining  back;  Fillis  in- 
sisted that  the  horse  should  move  forward  during 
the  whole  of  every  lesson.  His  methods,  which  are 
more  complicated  than  Baucher's,  require  some  ex- 
planation. Both  reins  of  the  snaffle  are  held  in  the 
right  hand  under  the  horse's  chin,  and  a  whip  is 
held  in  the  left  hand.  The  horse's  head  is  pushed 
upwards  and  forwards  as  he  moves  on,  the  whip 
being  used  when  necessary.  The  exercise  must  at 
first  be  carried  out  at  the  side  of  a  school  or  wall, 
or  the  animal  will  not  be  under  control.  When  the 
horse  walks  freely  in  this  manner,  the  snaffle  reins 
are  held  in  front  and  close  to  the  nose  in  the  left 
hand,  and  the  curb  reins  behind  the  chin  on  the  right. 
The  horse  is  then  pulled  forward  by  the  left  hand 
and  his  nose  kept  in  by  the  right,  an  assistant  using 
the  whip  when  necessary  in  rear.  This  exercise, 
which  Baucher  carried  out  with  the  horse  station- 
ary, is  intended  to  supple  the  lower  jaw  as  well  as 
the  neck. 

The  object  of  lateral  flexion  is  to  train  the  horse 


Further  Training  ^$^ 

when  ridden  to  maintain  a  high  carriage  of  the 
head  in  turning  and  circHng,  and  to  incHne  it  in  the 
direction  in  which  he  is  moving.  It  is  taught  by 
raising  the  horse's  head  and  pulHng  it  round  from 
side  to  side.  Enthusiasts  claim  that  no  horse  will 
turn  properly  unless  he  has  been  through  a  course 
of  this  exercise,  but  we  may  take  it  that  this  bigoted 
view  will  not  stand  examination ;  most  of  us  having 
ridden  extremely  handy  animals  whose  trainers 
had  never  so  much  as  heard  the  word  flexion. 

The  great  objection  to  specifying  any  length  of 
time  for  working  on  foot  is  that  we  are  not  giving 
the  horse  any  lesson  in  his  most  important  duty, 
which  is  to  balance  himself  with  a  weight  on  his 
back,  although  having  learnt  to  move  bridled  with 
his  head  high  will  eventually  make  this  easier  for 
him;  nor  are  we  taking  any  steps  to  develop  the 
muscles  that  are  needed  for  carrying  weight.  The 
whip,  even  in  the  hands  of  an  expert,  cannot  have 
the  same  educational  value  as  the  application  of  the 
leg. 

If  the  trainer  works  mounted,  he  can  raise  the 
horse's  head  by  raising  his  hands  and  pressing  with 
his  legs,  and  if  it  is  required  he  can  bring  the  nose 


26o    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

in  by  holding  the  snaffle-rein  high  and  the  curb  low. 

It  is  as  well  to  work  the  colt  by  himself;^  he 
will  pay  more  attention  to  the  trainer,  and  it  is  not 
easy  to  get  good  work  out  of  a  '*  difficult  "  horse 
unless  he  is  alone.  This  results  not  only  from  the 
imitativeness  of  all  young  things  and  their  interest 
in  what  is  being  done  by  others,  but  also  from  the 
gregariousness  which  is  one  of  the  strongest  natural 
characteristics  of  the  equine  race,  and  which  prompts 
its  members  to  seek  their  fellows'  company  and  to 
shun  independent  action.  For  this  reason,  when  it 
is  necessary  to  work  young  horses  together  they 
should  never  be  allowed  to  follow  each  other  closely. 

When  the  horse  is  first  mounted,  which  should  be 
done  with  the  greatest  care,  he  should  be  led 
along  by  a  man  on  foot;  if  he  shows  any  disin- 
clination to  move  forward  he  should  be  turned 
either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left :  everything  should 
be  done  to  keep  on  friendly  terms  with  him.     As  de 


*  The  Italians  and  the  Boers  couple  the  young  horse  to  an  old  one 
by  means  of  a  rope  or  a  strong  leather  strap.  This  is  attached  to 
both  headstalls,  the  horses'  heads  being  about  a  yard  apart.  This 
procedure  is  only  admissible  when  the  young  horse  comes  "  wild  " 
into  the  trainer's  hands,  which  is  often  the  case  both  in  Italy  and 
South  Africa. 


Further  Training  261 

Mauleon  remarks,  if  he  will  not  do  a  thing  in  one 
way,  another  should  be  tried.  The  horse  should  be 
led  by  a  head-collar,  and  not  by  the  bridle,  and  as 
soon  as  he  goes  quietly  he  should  be  let  go,  the  man 
continuing  to  walk  by  him  for  a  time.  He  should 
now  be  given  full  liberty  of  rein,  and  encouraged 
to  "  walk  out  "  before  it  is  attempted  to  make  him 
go  light  in  front,  which  cannot  be  done  without  the 
help  of  the  bridle. 

When  trotting  lessons  are  begun  one  important 
point  should  be  borne  in  mind  if  equal  work  is  to 
be  done  by  the  horse's  hind  legs.  The  Germans  lay 
great  stress  on  this  distribution  of  work  for  long- 
distance riding;  and  amongst  Frenchmen,  Captain 
Caubert,  in  his  deep  and  scientific  work  "  Du  Cheval 
bien  mu  et  bien  mis,"  goes  very  fully  into  it.  I  will 
endeavor  to  explain  it  as  simply  as  possible. 

When  a  horse  trots,  his  near  fore  and  off  hind 
strike  the  ground  at  the  same  time  and  vice  versa. 
In  rising  to  the  trot,  the  rider's  weight  is  always 
lifted  out  of  the  saddle  by  the  straightening  of  one 
particular  hock.  This  in  time  becomes  stiff  and 
tired,  unless  the  rider  occasionally  allows  himself  to 
bump  twice  instead  of  once  in  the  saddle  and  shifts 


^62    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

the  work  on  to  the  horse's  other  hind  leg,  which  will 
greatly  relieve  the  animal  and  enable  him  to  travel 
further  without  distress. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  when  a  horse  should  be 
taught  to  rein  back.  The  exercise  forms  part  of 
every  trainer's  curriculum,  but  Fillis,  and  de  Lisle 
(who  follows  his  methods),  would  leave  it  until  the 
rest  of  the  training  is  completed,  whilst  other  ex- 
perts would  commence  with  it.  Fillis  says  that 
backing  a  horse  has  the  effect  of  putting  his  hind 
legs  further  away  from  him,  but  this  is  not  the  fact 
if  the  animal  is  made  to  rein  back  with  his  head  up. 
De  Lisle  says  that  reining  back  may  make  a  horse 
chary  of  facing  the  bit,  but  many  masters  of  the 
"  great  saddle,"  who  rode  in  terribly  severe  bits, 
and  demanded  great  flexion  at  the  poll,  do  not  seem 
to  have  been  troubled  in  this  respect.  Doubtless 
the  horse  can  be  "  made "  whichever  course  the 
reader  may  wish  to  pursue;  the  following  advan- 
tages, however,  are  derived  from  early  instruction 
in  this  exercise.  It  is  the  best  lesson  for  teaching 
a  horse  to  get  back  on  his  hocks,  and  to  turn  on 
them,  which  cannot  be  done  without  weighting  the 
pivot;  the  retrograde  movements  of  the  hind  legs 


Further  Training  263 

strengthen  important  muscles  of  the  back  and  loins, 
and  as  a  preparation  for  the  canter  and  for  jumping 
it  will  often  be  found  extremely  useful.  My  ex- 
perience goes  to  prove  that  if  a  horse  is  kind  and 
willing  it  is  unwise  to  forego  these  benefits,  which 
are  so  valuable  to  the  trainer. 

It  is  as  well  to  give  the  first  few  lessons  in  reining 
back  on  foot,  the  horse's  head  being  at  first  held  low 
in  order  to  lighten  his  quarters;  if  he  shows  any 
marked  disinclination  to  move,  the  trainer  should 
tread  on  each  of  his  fore  fetlocks  in  turn  (Fillis). 
It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  a  trainer  in 
difficulties  with  a  young  horse  the  first  time  he  tries 
to  rein  him  back  mounted,  which  is  easily  explained. 
Not  only  has  the  horse  to  lift  his  hind  legs  while 
bearing  an  unaccustomed  weight,  but  this  weight  is 
increased  by  the  animal's  head  being  held  high. 

When  the  horse  has  learnt  to  carry  himself 
lightly  at  a  walk  and  a  trot  he  must  be  taught  to 
passage  and  turn  on  his  hocks.  It  is  advisable  to 
begin  these  exercises  dismounted  and  to  use  a  cane 
as  a  substitute  for  the  leg.  This  is  diametrically 
opposed  to  the  teaching  of  Hayes,  who  would  have 
turning  on  the  hind  legs  taught  last,  but  I  maintain 


264    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

that  it  is  correct.  Turning  in  this  manner  is  not 
only  the  most  useful  one  for  the  rider,  as  the  horse 
pivots  on  the  point  of  the  turn,  but  when  once 
learnt  it  is  the  safest  and  easiest  for  the  horse,  and 
is  a  good  lesson  in  balance.  Hayes  seems  to  have 
been  opposed  to  it  because  he  thought  it  likely  to 
irritate  the  horse  in  the  early  days  of  his  training, 
but  by  exercising  great  patience  and  gentleness  the 
trainer  must  prevent  this.  The  polo  pony  is,  of 
course,  useless  unless  he  can  turn  on  his  quarters 
at  a  gallop,  and  every  other  riding  horse  is  safer 
when  he  can  do  the  same. 

The  animal  must  learn  to  pivot  on  every  leg,  but 
it  comes  natural  to  him  to  turn  on  his  forehand 
unless  he  is  in  a  confined  space;  he  therefore  re- 
quires more  teaching  to  swing  on  his  hocks.  The 
trainer  should  make  use  of  the  inclination  of  the 
body  to  "  fix  "  the  pivot. 

Unless  they  are  moving  on  a  circle  all  horses  when 
cantering  have  a  leading  or  favorite  leg  like  human 
beings  :  they  should  be  taught  to  go  on  either,  and  to 
change  the  leading  leg  readily  either  at  the  will  of 
the  rider  or  when  circumstances  dictate  it ;  it  is,  for 
instance,  unsafe  if  a  cantering  horse  suddenly  goes 


Further  Training  265 

from  a  right-hand  circle  to  a  left-hand  one  and  does 
not  at  once  change  legs  and  lead  with  the  inner  one, 
as  he  is  liable  to  cross  his  legs  and  come  down.  It 
will  be  necessary  to  decide  on  the  quickest  and  best 
way  of  accomplishing  this  important  part  of  the 
horse's  education.  He  may  be  taught  either  to 
strike  off  on  a  particular  leg  when  given  certain 
indications,  and  thus  be  made  handy  on  both,  or  he 
may  be  worked  on  the  circle  with  the  awkward  leg 
leading,  the  circle  being  gradually  enlarged  until  he 
gets  into  the  way  of  using  this  leg  on  the  straight, 
after  which  it  will  be  easy  to  teach  him  to  change. 

Having  got  the  animal  to  canter  on  either  leg,  he 
may  soon  be  taught  to  change  legs  by  the  movement 
of  the  rider's  body,  by  working  him  on  a  large  fig- 
ure-of-eight. Let  us,  for  example,  take  it  that  we 
are  riding  on  the  first  circle  to  the  right;  at  the  point 
where  we  wish  to  enter  the  second  circle  the  body 
should  be  swung  to  the  left,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  right  rein  and  right  leg  applied.  The  horse 
should  be  given  a  good  kick  with  the  right  heel,  and 
if  this  does  not  have  the  required  effect  he  should 
be  sharply  rapped  on  the  right  side  with  the  cane. 
Very  soon  the  indications  given  by  the  hand  and  leg 


266    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

can  be  dispensed  with.  This  system  of  training  is 
carried  out  to  perfection  at  the  Messrs.  Miller's 
school  at  Rugby.  Care  must  be  taken  that  the  move- 
ment of  the  body  is  not  exaggerated,  or  the  horse 
will  lose  his  balance  and  will  change  in  front  only 
instead  of  in  front  and  behind.  The  figure-of-eight 
should  not  be  attempted  until  the  horse  canters 
collectedly. 

The  aid  and  indications  given  at  the  end  of  the 
instructional  exercises  must  be  amplified  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  horse  under  training;  for  ex- 
ample, a  well-balanced,  keen  animal .  will  not  re- 
quire the  hand  and  leg  work  that  will  be  necessary 
on  an  ill-balanced  slug. 

Both  hands  may  have  to  be  raised  ^  to  make  a 
horse  "  stop  "  in  a  collected  manner,  but  I  am  loath 
to  lay  down  any  definite  rules  to  suit  all  horses.  If 
the  trainer  will  keep  in  his  mind's  eye  the  fact  that 
when  a  horse  is  finished  he  must  be  able  to  answer 
to  the  aid  and  the  indications  given  in  the  instruc- 
tional exercises,  he  is  better  left  to  his  own  manner 
of  arriving  at  the  result,  always  providing  that  he 
has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business. 

•  Some  writers  say  that  you  should  lower  both  hands. 


Further  Training  267 

On  the  European  Continent  great  stress  is  laid 
on  the  physical  training  of  the  horse,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  ensuring  all-round  and  even  muscular  devel- 
opment. Without  question  the  principle  is  sound, 
and  the  trainer  should  carry  it  out  by  systematic- 
ally practising  circles,  turns,  passaging,  and  reining- 
back,  as  soon  as  his  charge  is  sufficiently  advanced. 
No  lesson  should  be  abandoned  because  it  is  learnt. 
Jumping,  either  at  liberty  or  mounted,  is  the  best 
possible  exercise  for  all-round  physical  develop- 
ment. 

ment.  Some  of  the  jumps  should  be  broad,  in 
order  to  oblige  the  horse  to  use  his  shoulders  freely. 
If  he  does  nothing  but  collected  work  and  high  jump- 
ing he  is  likely  to  lose  his  full  powers  of  extension, 
however  much  these  may  have  been  developed  in 
the  early  stages  of  his  education. 


XXII 

JUMPING 


XXII 

JUMPING 


"  She  shortened  her  long  stroke,  she  pricked  her  sharp  ears, 

She  flung  it  behind  her  with  hardly  a  rap " 

Lindsay  Gordon. 


TF  a  horse  has  had  the  advantage  of  a  jumping- 
lane  education  in  early  youth,  a  light-weight  can 
ride  him  over  low  obstacles  at  once,  and  very  little 
trouble  will  be  found  in  turning  him  out  as  good  a 
fencer  as  his  make  and  disposition  will  allow  of,  if 
his  mouth  is  not  ill-treated  during  the  process. 
"  Natural  fencers  "  are  often  spoken  of,  but  it  may 
be  taken  that  such  horses  have  jumped  in  early  colt- 
hood  for  pleasure,  or,  if  they  come  from  Ireland, 
have  learnt  to  do  so  for  the  purpose  of  getting  from 
field  to  field  on  a  farm;  the  animal  that  has  never 
had  any  opportunity  of  practising  fencing  until  he  is 
four  or  five  years  old  requires  schooling.  I  do  not 
agree  with  Whyte  Melville  that  not  one  hunter  in 

fifty  really  likes  jumping,  and  believe  that  many 

271 


272      Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

enjoy  it  if  not  jobbed  in  the  mouth  and  given  too 
much  of  the  exercise. 

The  beginner  must  be  taught  to  stand  off  and 
jump  well  out.  Getting  too  much  under  the  fence 
and  landing  on  his  shoulders  are  faults  which  are 
very  common  in  the  young  horse.  For  this  reason 
the  first  few  lessons  should  be  over  an  obstacle  that 
is  broad  at  the  top;  either  two  hurdles  bunched 
together  of  the  sort  shown  in  Fig.  5  or  the  trunk  of 
a  large  tree,  the  latter  having  the  advantage  that  a 
horse  will  never  try  to  go  through  it.  The  young- 
ster should  not  be  allowed  to  jump  fast,  whether  he 
is  worked  on  foot  or  ridden,  until  he  has  learnt  to 
get  his  hocks  well  under  him.  Many  people  com- 
mence with  a  single  rail.  Dick  Christian  (born 
1779),  a  celebrated  trainer  of  hunters,  always  did 
this,  but  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  not  the 
shortest  way  to  the  end  in  view,  for  reasons  that  I 
have  given  above. 

The  trainer  may  well  begin  on  foot,  and  use 
any  of  the  appliances  already  mentioned;  excellent 
results  can,  however,  be  obtained  in  a  school  without 
them.  Lead  the  horse  up  to  the  obstacle  and  jump 
It  yourself  alongside  of  him;  after  a  few  times  it 


Jumping  273 

will  be  found  that  he  will  jump  by  merely  being  led 
up  to  the  fence,  the  reins  in  this  case  being  knotted 
to  shorten  them  and  left  on  the  animal's  neck.  A 
mouthful  of  corn  or  a  carrot  should  be  the  reward 
for  each  performance. 

As  soon  as  the  horse  jumps  readily  with  a  man  on 
his  back,  wings  should  be  dispensed  with.  This  is 
important,  as  the  horse  is  thus  taught  that  he  must 
take  the  place  selected  by  his  rider,  and  that  he  is 
under  complete  control.  After  a  sound  preparation, 
there  is  no  better  practice  for  the  young  horse  than 
taking  him  slowly  across  country,  at  first  over  gaps, 
then  over  low  fences;  and  if  some  of  them  have  a 
bad  take-off,  so  much  the  better. 

To  make  the  animal  safe  and  certain  over  timber 
and  water  requires  systematic  training,  too  often 
neglected  in  England,  to  the  detriment  of  the  horse's 
market  value-  It  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  the 
difficulty  timber  presents  to  a  young  horse  is  owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  lowest  bar  is  some  way  off  the 
ground,  so  that  he  finds  nothing  to  guide  him  in 
taking  off  when  he  looks  down  to  measure  the  dis- 
tance. I  have  discovered  that  commencing  with  a 
guard-rail  in  front  of  the  obstacle  overcomes  the 


274    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

difficulty,  the  rail  being  placed  nearer  and  nearer  to 
the  jump  as  he  becomes  accustomed  to  it,  and  eventu- 
ally removed.  As  far  as  water  is  concerned,  hunters 
often  make  a  great  fuss  about  less  than  six  feet  of 
it,  a  width  they  could  cover  in  their  stride  without 
effort.  The  brook  or  ditch  cannot  be  too  small,  or 
be  ridden  at  too  slowly  to  begin  with;  it  is  every- 
thing to  establish  the  animal's  confidence  at  once, 
and  the  pace  should  be  gradually  increased  as  the 
width  of  the  obstacle  grows.  Should  the  youngster 
refuse  even  to  approach  water,  he  should  be  led  up 
to  it  with  a  crupper  leading-rein. 

I  am  a  believer  in  teaching  young  horses  to  jump 
wire,  not  necessarily  for  after  use,  but  by  way  of 
giving  them  a  good  eye  for  measuring  distance.  I 
only  know  of  one  disadvantage  to  the  practice, 
which  is  that  if  a  horse  gets  tied  up  in  wire  it 
frightens  him  considerably,  but  a  good  deal  of  ex- 
perience has  convinced  me  that  the  effects  are  not 
lasting,  and  he  quickly  learns  to  regard  this  class 
of  obstacle  with  respect.  For  instructional  purposes 
it  can  be  made  in  the  following  manner.  Two  up- 
rights fixed  on  to  heavy  stands  are  drilled  to  take 
three  or  four  strands  of  wire  and  placed  at  a  suit- 


Jumping  ^75 

able  distance  apart.  The  wires  are  run  through  the 
posts  and  terminate  in  weights  to  keep  them  taut, 
which  should  hang  low  enough  to  allow  of  a  certain 
amount  of  play  if  the  horse  hits  the  wire.  The  top 
strand  rests  on  deeply-grooved  pulleys  on  the  top  of 
each  post,  and  should  also  be  weighted.  The  jump 
should  be  low  at  first,  and  if  two  or  three  sticks  are 
twisted  in  and  out  of  the  strands  in  an  upright 
position  the  horse  will  be  assisted  in  measuring  the 
obstacle  until  he  comes  to  understand  its  nature. 
I  have  conclusively  proved  that  any  riding  horse 
worthy  of  the  name  can  be  taught  to  jump  wire. 

I  strongly  advocate  sending  young  horses  to  the 
covert-side  a  few  times  before  even  asking  them 
to  follow  hounds ;  in  this  way  they  will  more  easily 
learn  to  stand  still  and  not  fidget.  When  entered  to 
real  hunting  they  should  be  taken  straight  away  to 
the  front  and  kept  there  if  possible,  to  prevent  their 
being  demoralized  by  seeing  refusals  in  front  of 
them;  this  should  be  quite  practicable  if  the  pre- 
liminary training  has  been  thorough. 

Show  jumping  is  a  special  business,  which  found 
but  little  favor  in  England  before  the  days  of  the 
International  Horse  Show.    It  is  tKie  that  jumping 


276    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

competitions  have  been  held  for  some  years  at  most 
of  the  agricuhural  shows,  but  the  successful  horses 
have  generally  done  little  else  from  year  to  year 
but  travel  round  the  country  picking  up  money 
prizes,  and  few  bona  fide  hunters  have  competed. 
Without  arguing  at  length  the  practical  educational 
value  of  making  a  horse  into  a  show-jumper,  I 
would  ask  the  reader  whether  he  w^ould  care  to  ride 
a  hunter  who  w^as  in  possession  of  the  fact  that  every 
fence  in  the  country  could  be  chanced  with  impunity. 
That  the  show-jumper  is  aware  of  it  when  he  per- 
forms in  the  ring  w^as  well  illustrated  during  the 
first  few  days  especially  of  the  1909  International 
Horse  Show  at  Olympia  (London).  Had  the  fences 
been  solid  there  would,  without  exaggeration,  have 
been  at  least  a  hundred  falls  a  day,  and  some  of 
them  really  dangerous  ones.  It  is  true  that  most 
of  the  foreign  animals  entered  were  said  to  be 
"  cross-country "  horses,  but  this  nearly  always 
means  that  they  can  negotiate  a  course  of  made 
fences,  which  much  experience  has  taught  them  the 
evil  effects  of  chancing. 

At  San  Sebastian   (Spain)   later  in  the  year  the 
jumps  were  of  a  different  caliber,  and  although  in 


Jumping  277 

some  cases  fantastic  and  unnatural  many  of  them 
could  not  be  chanced.  The  chief  obstacle  in  the 
course  was  a  combination  of  high  bank  and  fly- 
fence  with  a  ditch.  The  competitor  had  first  to 
jump  the  fence  and  then  the  ditch  on  to  a  sloping 
bank  ten  feet  high.  After  scrambling  up  this  bank 
he  was  confronted  with  a  four-foot  ledge  and  then 
another  ten-foot  bank.  The  top  was  about  eight 
feet  broad  and  an  almost  perpendicular  drop  of 
nearly  twenty  feet  completed  a  very  formidable  ob- 
stacle, which  taxed  the  pluck  and  tendons  of  the 
horses  very  highly. 

Height  and  not  length  has  till  recently  been  the 
usual  characteristic  of  the  obstacles  at  International 
horse  shows,  and  to  jump  height  the  animal  must 
learn  to  be  an  excellent  judge  of  where  to  take  off, 
and  must  get  right  back  on  his  hocks  before  he  does 
so.  One  of  the  best  trick-jumpers  I  ever  saw  would 
always  refuse  if  he  did  not  get  into  his  proper 
stride,  sooner  than  go  through  the  fence;  yet 
although  he  refused,  he  was  quite  ready  to  have 
another  try  without  any  punishment  or  coercion. 
It  was  palpable  that  he  refused  in  the  same  way  as 


278    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

a  man  who  stops  when  he  has  misjudged  his  run 
at  a  high  jump. 

Some  horses  require  to  be  put  back  on  their  hocks, 
and  jump  better  in  a  double  bit ;  others,  like  the  cele- 
brated "  All  Fours,"  collect  themselves  of  their 
own  accord  and  perform  best  with  a  slack  rein :  they 
can  see  what  they  are  doing  and  measure  their  dis- 
tance better  with  their  heads  free. 

A  placid  disposition  is  a  valuable  asset  in  a  show- 
jumper;  the  education  can  scarcely  fail  to  irritate 
many  temperaments.  Both  horse  and  man  require 
special  training.  The  man  must,  amongst  other 
things,  learn  to  lean  well  forward  on  landing,  and 
the  horse's  training  must  be  of  two  sorts.  Firstly, 
continual  up-and-down-hill  work — the  steeper  the 
better — at  first  at  a  walk  and  then  at  a  canter,  for 
the  purpose  of  muscle  development.  This  can  be  ob- 
tained by  continual  jumping,  but  it  is  apt  to  sicken 
the  horse  and  make  him  shin-sore.  Secondly,  special 
training  in  high  jumping  over  those  fancy  obstacles 
which  are  never  met  with  out  of  the  show-ring.  The 
difficulty  of  teaching  high  jumping  is  that  it  must,  if 
possible,  be  done  without  giving  the  horse  falls,  as 
in  coming  down  from  a  height  of,  say,  six  feet,  he 


Jumping  279 

IS  very  apt  to  hurt  himself;  I  have  seen  more  than 
one  injured  shoulder  from  this  cause. 

One  way  to  set  about  it  is  to  have  a  man  at  each 
end  holding  the  bar  on  the  rests,  or  a  second  bar 
maintained  at  the  same  height,  and  to  jump  the 
horse  firstly  at  liberty  and  then  with  a  man  on  his 
back.  If  he  clears  the  bar  well,  the  men  holding  it 
should  do  nothing,  but  if  it  is  a  near  thing  they 
should  endeavor  to  jerk  the  bar  up  and  down  again, 
so  as  to  rap  the  horse  on  the  fetlocks.  It  is  not  a 
very  difficult  thing  to  do  with  a  little  practice.  In  at 
least  one  country  abroad  where  they  are  famous  for 
their  high  jumpers,  it  is  not  an  uncommon  practice 
to  cover  the  bar  with  leather  containing  sharp  tacks, 
point  outwards.  This  plan  is  more  effective  and 
does  not  make  refusers,  but  it  is  barbarous,  and  we 
may  be  thankful  that  it  is  unlawful  in  England. 
The  bar  is,  of  course,  let  go  by  the  holders  if  the 
horse  is  likely  to  fall  from  jumping  too  low. 

Some  horses  are  cunning  enough  quickly  to  as- 
sociate the  presence  of  the  men  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
jump  with  the  correction  of  the  bar,  and  will  imme- 
diately chance  the  fence  if  they  are  absent.  This 
difficulty  can  be  overcome  if  the  bar  is  worked  by 


28o    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

pulleys  and  ropes  from  a  distance,  as  is  now  almost 
invariably  done  on  the  Continent.  The  pulleys  are 
attached  to  strong  upright  posts  at  each  end  of  the 
fence,  and  the  pole  is  sunk  slightly  below  its  top, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  invisible  from  the  taking- 
off  side. 

The  disadvantage  of  the  above  method  of  training 
is  that  the  effect  is  seldom  lasting,  and  that  the  pun- 
ishment— such  as  it  is — must  often  be  administered. 
A  horse  remembers  a  fall  at  a  natural  fence  and  dis- 
likes it  extremely,  and  he  generally  takes  every  care 
that  it  shall  not  happen  again  if  he  can  help  it.  But 
if  the  obstacles  are  fancy  ones,  he  seems  instinctively 
to  know  exactly  what  may  be  chanced  and  what  may 
not.  This  was  well  illustrated  at  the  International 
Horse  Show  of  1909,  where  the  walls,  although  col- 
lapsible, had  a  solid  appearance  and  did  not  fall  at 
a  mere  touch,  being  accordingly  treated  with  greater 
respect  than  any  other  obstacles  in  the  ring. 

The  piano  jump,  three  rails  in  a  line,  and  other 
special  obstacles  must  be  made  small  at  first,  or  when 
necessary  only  half  put  up,  and  the  horse  sent  over 
them  with  nobody  on  his  back  until  he  understands 
what  is  required  of  him. 


Jumping  281 

Training  the  horse  to  go  down  what  is  almost  a 
precipice,  a  special  feature  of  Italian  show  riding, 
must  be  taught  by  degrees,  the  pace  of  the  horse 
and  the  slope  and  length  of  the  declivity  being  in- 
creased as  the  horse  gets  accustomed  to  balancing 
himself.  The  Italians  have  now  trained  their  horses 
to  go  up  a  steep  narrow  bank,  jump  a  wall  on  top, 
and  then  immediately  descend  a  steep  incline.  This 
sounds  alarming,  but  to  a  great  extent  careful  train- 
ing eliminates  accidents. 


XXIII 

B.EFTJSEBS 


XXIII 

REFUSERS 

"  Yet  I  must  tell  you,  the  rarest  Leaping  Horse  that  ever  I  saw,  or 
Rid,  went  not  at  all  upon  the  Curb,  but  only  upon  the  Barrs  of  his 
Mouth,  which  I  do  not  commend  ;  but  it  is  better  to  have  him  Leap 
so,  being  so  rare  a  horse,  than  to  be  so  Over-Curious  as  not  to  have 
him  Leap  at  all,  because  he  went  not  upon  the  Curb." 

Nev^^castle. 

A  FTER  reading  the  above  quotation  the  reader 
will  perhaps  agree  with  me  that  the  Duke 
either  did  very  little  jumping,  or  was  extraordinarily 
lucky  in  only  finding  one  horse  that  objected  to  leap- 
ing on  the  curb ;  there  is  no  surer  way  of  manufac- 
turing a  refuser  if  the  animal's  mouth  and  chin  are 
not  past  all  feeling. 

Horses  refuse  for  various  reasons,  and  it  is  useless 
to  attempt  to  cure  them  of  the  habit  until  we  have 
ascertained  the  cause.  A  well-known  writer  has 
said  that  it  takes  two  years  to  make  a  horse  and 
about  half-an-hour  to  spoil  him,  and  we  may  safely 
go  this  far  with  him :  that  a  good  jumper  can  be 

ruined  in  a  very  short  time,  and  that  the  trouble  and 

285 


286    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

work  which  will  be  required  to  get  him  back  to  his 
true  form  cannot  be  measured  with  accuracy-  The 
refuser  is  of  little  value  either  to  the  hunting  man 
or  to  the  exhibitor  of  show  jumpers,  so  that  the  pre- 
vention and  cure  of  this  exasperating  fault  is  a 
matter  of  the  first  importance  to  them. 

A  horse  may  refuse  for  any  of  the  following  rea- 
sons, or  from  a  combination  of  several. 

1.  From  having  been  previously  jobbed  in  the 
mouth  on  landing  (Plate  XXV),  thus  receiving  se- 
vere punishment  for  obeying  his  rider's  wishes.  If 
the  job  in  the  mouth  is  severe  the  horse  receives  the 
additional  punishment  of  jarring  his  hindquarters  on 
landing,  as  they  come  to  the  ground  too  soon  and  are 
not  adapted  for  bearing  weight  as  are  the  forelegs. 

2.  Being  accidentally  spurred  during  any  phase 
of  the  jump — another  punishment  for  obedience. 

3.  Insufficient  elementary  schooling;  the  horse  will 
refuse  because  he  does  not  know  what  is  required 
of  him. 

4.  Not  having  sufficient  head-room  when  he  poises 
his  body  to  spring. 

5.  Want  of  heart  in  the  rider,  which  is  so  easily 
communicated  through  the  reins. 


be 

a 


Refusers  287 

6.  Want  of  heart  in  the  horse  if  the  fence  is  big. 

7.  Seeing*  other  horses  refuse  in  front  of  him. 

8.  Lameness  either  in  front  or  behind,  or  a 
strained  back. 

9.  Sore  back. 

10.  Badly-fitting  saddle. 

11.  Ill-fitting  or  too  severe  a  bridle. 

12.  Sickened  by  too  much  jumping. 

13.  Vice. 

14.  Finding  that  he  has  miscalculated  his  distance 
and  has  to  take  off  too  soon  or  too  late ;  the  horse 
often  prefers  to  refuse  if  he  can,  rather  than  fall 
(see  page  279). 

I  have  seen  horses  refuse  from  all  these  causes : 
let  us,  in  so  far  as  is  practicable,  discuss  the  reme- 
dies, eliminating  those  refusers  who  require  attention 
from  a  veterinary  surgeon,  and  also  those  who  be- 
long to  such  callous  masters  as  will  not  study  their 
horse's  comfort  in  the  matter  of  his  furniture. 

Horses  have  such  retentive  memories  that  only  if 
victory  is  certain  is  a  pitched  battle  to  be  thought  of, 
and  even  then  it  is  bad  policy.  I  do  not  wish  by  this 
to  imply  that  corrective  punishment  is  not  sometimes 


283    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

necessary,  but  it  is  better  applied  when  we  are  work- 
ing on  foot  and  are  assured  of  mastery  and  obedi- 
ence, and  only  then  if  a  resolute  pair  of  hands  and 
legs  and  a  touch  of  whip  and  spur  have  failed  of 
their  effect.  Patience  and  untiring  effort  is  the 
secret  of  success  with  a  refuser,  be  he  young  or  old, 
if  the  result  is  to  be  satisfactory  and  the  lesson  a 
lasting  one. 

If  the  horse  refuses  because  he  has  been  punished 
in  the  mouth,  jump  him  without  reins  over  very  low 
obstacles,  which  should  gradually  be  raised;  then 
use  reins  attached  to  a  thick  smooth  snaffle.  I  have 
seen  a  horse,  who  had  been  refusing  for  half-an- 
hour,  jump  at  once  simply  because  the  curb  bit  was 
removed  from  his  mouth,  although  up  to  then  no 
pressure  had  been  put  upon  it.  If  for  any  reason 
jumping  without  reins  cannot  be  undertaken,  it  is 
best  to  dismount  and  put  on  a  crupper  leading-rein 
(described  in  the  section  devoted  to  appliances,  page 
231).  After  the  horse  has  jumped  with  this  appli- 
ance, which  assuredly  he  will,  feed  him  with  a 
mouthful  of  carrot  or  other  delicacy;  rest  him  a 
little,  and  then  ride  him  over  the  fence ;  if  he  again 
refuses,  repeat  the  performance. 


Refusers  289 

We  cannot  make  a  coward  brave,  whether  he  be 
man  or  horse,  but  we  can  sometimes  oblige  him  to 
do  what  he  fears  by  strongly  impressing  upon  him 
the  evil  consequences  of  resistance.  A  resolute  rider 
with  a  sharp  pair  of  spurs  will  often  make  up  a 
horse's  mind  for  him,  but  he  can  never  cure  him  of 
the  tendency  to  refuse,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
the  coward,  from  his  very  nature,  will  take  the  first 
opportunity  of  finding  the  rider  off  his  guard  to 
balk  again,  especially  if  the  obstacle  be  at  all  formi- 
dable. Working  on  foot,  either  with  a  light  caves- 
son,  long  reins,  or  the  crupper  leading-rein,  may 
improve  this  class  of  animal,  as  jumping  without  a 
weight  on  his  back  inspires  confidence  in  the  per- 
former, but  I  should  strongly  advise  the  owner  to 
sell  him  on  the  first  opportunity. 

A  refuser  from  any  of  the  causes  we  are  now 
discussing,  who  "  runs  out  "  when  going  at  a  fence, 
generally  does  so  on  one  particular  side.  This  can 
sometimes  be  stopped  by  showing  him  the  whip  on 
that  side,  or  by  a  course  of  bending  the  neck  to  the 
other,  the  side  which  he  stiffens  to  oppose  you:  in 
fact,  using  lateral  flexions  (see  page  259). 

Horses  that  refuse    from  vice  come  under  an 


290    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

altogether  different  category,  and  often  repay  per- 
severance and  patience  beyond  the  trainer's  expecta- 
tions. Punishment  with  the  whip  or  spurs  gener- 
ally increases  the  trouble,  so  we  must  look  for  other 
means  of  enforcing  mastery  and  obedience.  Here 
again  we  must  go  back  to  elementary  work ;  the  ob- 
stacles cannot  be  too  low  to  commence  with,  and 
bran  and  not  corn  is  the  best  food  for  the  delinquent 
until  he  has  seen  the  error  of  his  ways.  His  corn 
must  afterwards  be  regulated,  little  being  allowed  at 
first,  and  the  quantity  gradually  increased.  It  is 
waste  of  time  trying  to  cure  vice  if  the  horse  is 
above  himself.  The  animal  can  be  thrown  immedi- 
ately after  the  refusal  (see  page  235  on  Appli- 
ances), with  his  head  facing  the  jump  and  about  ten 
yards  from  it;  he  should  be  held  down  for  five 
minutes  or  so  with  his  head  slightly  raised  off  the 
ground,  and  then  taken  at  the  fence  again.  Another 
way  of  treating  him  is  to  place  him  in  front  of  the 
jump  and  tie  up  one  foreleg,  keeping  him  in  this 
position  until  he  is  tired.  Any  of  the  appliances 
mentioned  for  coercing  a  coward  may  be  used  in 
conjunction  with  these  two  punishments.     As  soon 


Refusers  291 

as  the  horse  gives  in  we  must  make  much  of  him  and 
give  him  some  deUcacy. 

Doubtless  some  horses  will  jump  when  hounds 
are  running  that  will  not  do  so  in  cold  blood,  but 
those  who  urge  that  the  way  to  cure  a  refuser  is  to 
take  him  to  the  front  out  hunting  forget  that  the 
rider  should  always  be  in  command,  and  not  be  sub- 
ject to  the  caprice  of  his  mount.  A  horse  should  not 
be  allowed  in  the  field  until  he  will  jump  willingly  in 
cold  blood.  One  disadvantage  of  trying  to  cure  this 
vice  out  hunting  is  that  when  the  animal  does  refuse, 
— and  I  have  ridden  horses  myself  thathave"  turned 
it  up"  in  the  middle  of  a  run  after  having  gone 
well,  and  with  nothing  forbidding  in  front  of  them — 
the  rider  cannot  assure  himself  of  victory,  as  he  has 
nothing  but  his  whip  and  spurs  to  help  him.  He 
may  be  kept  in  the  same  field  for  half  a  day  and  still 
fail,  a  very  serious  matter  as  far  as  curing  the  horse 
IS  concerned. 

If  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  the  despairing 
rider  who  has  seen  the  hunt  fade  from  his  sight 
may  generally  get  his  horse  to  jump  a  moderately- 
sized  fence,  and  so  gain  a  hollow  victory,  if  he  dis- 


292    Modern  Riding  and  Horse  Education 

mounts  and  pulls  the  animal  over  by  the  reins, 
lengthened  by  the  addition  of  the  whip-thong. 

Except  with  very  young  horses,  it  is  best  not  to 
allow  them  a  lead  over  a  fence,  as  it  is  in  a  sense  a 
moral  support,  and  if  we  pander  to  them  in  this  re- 
spect we  cannot  expect  boldness — the  most  valuable 
characteristic  in  the  jumper ;  and,  I  might  also  add, 
an  indispensable  one  in  the  horseman. 

Horses  are  seldom  fit  for  really  hard  work  before 
they  are  six  years  old,  and  we  in  England  should 
do  well  to  follow  Continental  nations  a  little  more 
in  this  matter.  In  the  English  Cavalry  Training 
Manual  of  1904  it  was  laid  down  that  the  trainer 
should  aim  at  making  his  horse  as  handy  as  a  polo 
pony,  as  clever  as  a  hunter,  and  as  quiet  as  a  shoot- 
ing pony.  The  ideal  is  an  excellent  one,  and  sel- 
dom impossible  if  the  training  is  scientific. 

THEEND. 


INDEX 


Adams,  34,  90,  I39,   H7,  222 
Adductor  muscle,  59,  60 
Aid,  the  one,  and  the  Indica- 
tions, 75-77 
Aids,    16,    17,    75-77,    184-189, 

265,  266 
America    (U.   S.),  5,  6,  7,  35, 

95,    loi,   15s 
American   flat-racing   seat,   28, 

40-43 
American  trotter,  82,   198,   199 
Anderson,    120 
Angle  of  thigh,  37 
Appliances  for  horse  training, 

219-241 
Arabs,  32,  200,  245 
Ash-pole,    235 
Assheton-Smith,   154 
Australian    methods,    95,    152, 

221,  232,  234 
Austrian        Cavalry        School 

(Vienna),  8,  23,  38 
Austrian  methods,  83,  148,  179, 

22^,  231,  236 
Austrian   nose-band,   226,   227, 

236 


Baden-Powell,    General,   201 
Balance,   of   horse,   89-94,    107, 

193-202,   259 
Balance,  of  man,  27,  36,  39,  42, 


43,  47-56,  60,  63,  64,  70,  132, 
135,  136,  138,  146,  153,  154, 
160 

Balancing,  exercises  for,  63-65, 
179-181 

Barnes,  Mr.,  210-214 

Baucher,  34,  63,  70,  120,  131, 
198,   199,  257,  258 

Bearing-rein,  198,  228,  229,  236 

Belgian  Cavalry  School 
(Ypres),  8,   23 

Berenger,  38,  61,  113,  119,  143, 
147,   193,  222,   231 

Bernhardi,  General  von,  13 

Bits,  144,  239-241,  288 

Blaine,  34 

Body,  position  of  when  jump- 
ing, 49-56,    136,    160-166 

Boer  War  (South  Africa),  24, 
37,  38,    173 

Boers,  48,  260    (note) 

Boots,    168 

Bourgelat,  21,   147,  231,  232 

Brains,   of   the   horse,   205-215 

Breeches,   168 

Bridle,  90,   114,   168,   169,  239 

Bridle,  Commanche,  229 

Brocklehurst,  General,  254 

Browne,  Mr.,  221,  232,  249 

Brussels  Horse  Show,  19 

Buckjumping,  155,  156 

Buckskin  saddles,   16,   152 


294 


Index 


BuxtorflF,  119 

Cabriole,    16,   155 

Cage,   235 

Caligula,  30 

Cane,   115,  238 

Cantering,  83.  84,  180-185,  188, 

264,  265 
Carriage    of    head    and    neck, 

194-201,   256-259 
Carthaginians,    113 
Caubert,  Captain,  261 
Cavaliers,  32 

Cavalry  Depot,  Canterbury,  37 
Cavalry    Schools,    see    Schools 
Cavesson,   225-227,   247,    289 
Centrifugal   force,  49,  84 
Cesaresco,  Count  E.  Martinen- 

go,  39,  100,  139,  206,  208,  209, 

212,  228,  236,  248 
Character  of  horses,   254,   255 
Check-rein,    198 
Child's  rocking-horse,  50 
Christian,    Dick,    272 
Circling,  83,  84,    182,   185,   188, 

259,  264-266 
Colt,  handling  of,  245-250 
Commanche  bridle,  229 
Conquest,   31,    119 
Courbette,  16,  18,  155,  231,  235 
Cow-puncher,  35,  loi 
Cross-legged  seat,  ladies',  7 
Crosstrees,  228 

Croupade,  16,  18,  155,  231,  235 
Cruelty,  246 
Crupper  leading-rein,  229,  274, 

288,  289 
Crusades,  32 
Crush.  234 


Cutting- whip,  115 

De  Lisle,  262 

Demonstration,     teaching     by, 

168 
Development       of        gripping 

muscles,  59-67,  108,   152,  157 
Distribution     of     the     rider's 

weight,  75-77,  81-85,  265,  266 
Dodge,  41,  248 
Dragging,   155,  156 
Driving,      long-rein,      221-225, 

289 
"  Drop  "  fence,  55 
Dummy  horse,  60-65 
Dwyer,  131,  134,  148,  239 

Early  days,  245-250 
Eastern  nations,  29,  30,  38 
Eastern  seat,  28,  29 
Ecuyers    at    Saumur,    15,    155, 

163 
Exercises  for  balancing,  63-65, 

179-181 
Exercises    for    curing    rider's 

strain,  65,  66 
Exercises     for    curing    round 

thighs,  70 
Exercises        for        developing 

gripping  muscles,  60-65,  108, 

152,   157 
Exercises,     instructional,  '  177- 

189 
Equitation,  lessons  in,    177-183 

Fallon,  221 

Falls,  63,  138,  153,  154 
Fancy    obstacles,    14,    18,    277, 
278,  280 


Index 


29S 


Fatigue,  135,  136,  137,  171,  256 
Fence,  riding  at,  160-163 
Fillis,    34,    109,    120,    131,    133, 

210,  257,  258,  262,  263 
Fitting  stirrups,  171 
Flat-racing  seat,  28,  29,  39-43, 

69 
Flexion,  196-200,  257-259 
Flexor  muscle,  59,  60 
Foot,  working  on,  256-259,  272, 

273,   289 
Fox-hunting,  34,  35 
Free  forward  movement,  255 
Freedom    of    head    and    neck, 

91-97,    163-166,    194-201,   239, 

256-259 
Freeman,  222 
French  Cavalry  School   (Sau- 

mur),  6,  8,  15-18,  23,  24,  38, 

146 
French  methods,  15-19,  83,  152, 

154,   155,  226,  231 
Further   training,   253-267 

Gag,  rope,  235 

Galvayne,    209,    221,    222,    230, 

235 
Galvayne  strap,  231 
German         Cavalry         School 

(Hanover),  6,  8,  15,  23 
German  methods,  133,  236,  261 
Getting    down    in    the    saddle, 

69-71 
Gibbon,  37 
Greenwood,  76,  94 
Grip,  knee  and  thigh,  27,  59- 

67 
Gripping  muscles,  development 


of.   59-67,    108,    152,    157 
Half -passage,  186,  189 
Handling   colt,   245-250 
Hand-spur,    235 
Hand-whips,  two,  238 
Hands,   height   of  the,  97,   98 
Hands,  ladies',  98 
Hands,  use  and  misuse  of  the, 

89-104 
Hanover,      German       Cavalry 

School  at,  6,  8,  15,  23 
Harrington,  Earl  of,  249 
Haute  Ecole,  16,  17,  28,  32,  34, 

36,  75,  91,  107,  114,  IIS,  120, 

131,  146.  229,  231,  238 
Hayes,   44,    55,    133,    134,    146, 

148,  200,  207,  208,  214,  221, 

222,     224,     225,    228,       229, 

233,  238.  263.  264 
Head,  100,  119 
Head    and    neck,   carriage   of, 

194-201,   256-259 
Head-room    for    horse,    91-97, 

163-166,     196,     198-201,    238, 

286 
Hieover,  Harry,  170 
Hints  to   instructors,    167-173 
Hobday,  Professor,  206 
Hocks,  turning  on,  263,  264 
Holding,  Frank,  232 
Holding  reins,  manner  of,  52, 

96,   100-104,   169 
Horse,  balance  of,  89-94,   I07, 

193-202,  259 
Horse,  dummy,  59-63 
Horse,  mastership,   172,   173 
Horse,    rocking,   64,   65 
Horse,  rocking,  child's,  50 


296 


Index 


Horse   shows,   S,   7,   13-1S,   I9- 

Q2,   146,  147.  275-277,  280 
Horse,      training      appliances, 

2 19-2;  I 
Horse,   weighing   experiments, 

195,  196 
Horses,     introduction     of     in 

America,  35 
Horse's  mind,  205-215 
Hungary,  8 

Hunting,   34,  35,  275,   291 
Hunting  seat,  7,  28,  29,  36,  38, 

39.  43,  44 
Hurdles,  157,  272 


levers,  Major  Philip  G.,  65 
Improved  method,  an,   151-173 
Independent  work,  182 
Indications,    the    one    aid    and 

the,   75-77 
Indications,    of    the    leg,    107- 

109,   184-189,  265,  266 
Indications,  of  the  voice,   113, 

114 
Instructional     exercises,      177- 

189 
Instructors,  hints  to,    167-170 
Instructors       of       horses       in 

America,   35 
Introduction   of   reins,    143-144 
Invention  of  stirrups,  29 
Iron-pointed  pole,  235 
Irons,  ladies'  safety,  148 
Italian    Cavalry    School    (Pin- 

erolo),  6,  8,  23,  38 
Italian    methods,    52,    83,    96, 

136,  260   (note),  281 


James  I.,  19 

Jennings,  230 

Jibbing,  229 

Jockeys,    5,   40-43,    S3,    54,    70, 

102,  163-166 
Jumping,  92,  94,   109,  126,  136, 

145-147,  267.  271-281 
Jumping,    learning,     126,    154- 

166,   180-183 
Jumping,       position     of     body 

when,   49-56,    136,    160-166 
Jumping,   refusing,   285-292 
Jumping,   seat    for,  33,   34,  44, 

49-56,  160 
Jumping,  show,  13,   14,  18,  54, 

55,  92,   147,  275-281 
Jumping,    without    reins,    126, 

154-160,    180-182,   289 
Jumping,      without      stirrups, 

136,   181,   182 

Knee   and   thigh  grip,   27,  59- 
67,  108 

Ladies'  hands,  198 
Ladies'  cross-legged  seat,  7 
Ladies'  safety  irons,   148 
Leading   leg,   83,   84,   109,    185, 

186,   188,  264,  265 
Leading  rein,  148 
Leading     rein,     crupper,     229, 

274,  288,  289 
Leg,  indications  of  the  rider's, 

107-109,    184-189,   265,   266 
Leg,  use  of  the  lower  part  of 

the,  107-110,  189 
Lessons   in   equitation,    177-183 
Livy,  144 


Index 


297 


Longe,  148,  158,  177,  226 
Longeing-whip,  235 
Long  rein  driving,  221-225,  289 
Losing  stirrups,   155 
Losses  in   horse-flesh  in  war, 
173 


Man,  balance  of,  27,  36,  39,  42, 
43,  47-56,  60,  63,  64,  70,  132, 

135,  136,   138,  145,  146,   153, 
154.   160 

Manege,  125,  126,  148,  158 

Manege,  riding,  33 

Manner  of  holding  reins,   52, 

96,  100-104,  169 
Martingales,  237,  238 
Mason,  Jim,  98 
Mauleon,  de,  253,  261 
Medows,    Sir    Sidney,    222 
Method,  an  improved,   151-173 
Methods,    Australian,   95,    152, 

221,  232,  234 

Methods,     Austrian,     83,     148, 

179,  226,  231,  236 
Methods,    French,     15-19,    83, 

152,  154,  iss,  226,  231 
Methods,    German,     133,    236, 

261 
Methods,    Italian,    52,    83,    96, 

136,  260  (note),  281 
Methods,  obsolete,  9 
Military  saddle,  39 
Military  seat,  7,  28,  36-39 
Military   tournament,   44 
Miller,    the    Messrs.,     14,    97, 

222,  266 

Mind,  the  horse's,  205-215 


Misuse  and  use  of  the  hands, 

89-104 
Moore,  Mr.  John  Hubert,  221 
Mounting,   169,  170,  260 
Mouth,  pressure  on  horse's,  97 
Muscles,   adductor,  59,  60 
Muscles,  flexor,  59,  60 
Muscles,      gripping,      develop- 
ment of,  59-67,  108,  152,  157 
Mott,  Major  T.  Bentley,  6 

Neck  and  head,  carriage  of, 
194-201,  256-259 

Nerve,   167 

Netheravon,  Cavalry  School 
at,  24,  109,  222 

Newcastle,  Duke  of,  34,  100, 
232,  238,  246 

Nolan,  120,  246 

Norway,  245 

Nose-band,  Austrian,  226,  227, 
236 

Numnah  v.  saddle  with  stir- 
rups, 131-139 

Obsolete  methods,  9 
Obstacles,    fancy,    14,    18,   277, 

278,  280 
Oeynhausen,  von,  236 
Olympia,  19,  276 
Open,    riding    schools    v.    the, 

125-128 
Opening  the  shoulders,  95,  96, 

163 
Osmer,  215 

Passaging,  186,  263 
Pelvis,  30 


298 


Index 


Pembroke,  Earl  of,  20,  23,  36, 
47,   147,  222,  224 

Perpendicular,  48-55 

Phillipps,  97,   166 

Physical  training  of  the  horse, 
267 

Piette,  M.  Edouard,  143 

Pignatelli,   231 

Pillar,  single,  232 

Pillars,  17,  154,  230,  232 

Pinerolo  (Italian  Cavalry 
School  at),  6,  8,  23,  38 

Placing  the  beginner  on  the 
horse,    170 

Pole,  ash,  235 

Pole,    iron-pointed,   235 

Polo,  5,  60,  97,  loi,  120 

Polo  ponies,  14,  264 

Position  of  the  body  when 
jumping,  49-56,   136,    160-166 

Preliminary  gripping  exer- 
cises,  60-65,    152,    157 

Pressure  on  the  horse's  mouth, 

97 
Pucci,   Marchese   Orario,  93 
Pulling,  98-100,   197-201 

Quist,  Captain,  23 

Raabe,   Mr.,   230 
Racing  seat,  28,   29,  39-43.  69 
Rarey,   148,  232,  233,  247 
Rarey  strap,  232,  233 
Refusing,     114,     158,     285-292, 

277 
Rein,  leading,   148 
Rein,  single,  225-228,  247 
Reining  back,   186,   262,   263 


Reins,   bearing,    198,    228,    229, 

236 
Reins,     crupper     leading,     229, 

274,  288,  289 
Reins,  introduction  of,  143,  144 
Reins,    jumping    without,    126, 

154-160,    180-182,    288 
Reins,    letting   slip,    163,    166 
Reins,    long,    221-225,    289 
Reins,  manner  of  holding,  52, 

96,  100-104,   169 
Reins,  rubber,  228 
Reins,  running,  237 
Reins,    side,    226 
Reins  v.  no  reins,  143-148 
Rider's  strain,  to  cure,  65,  66 
Rider's  weight,  distribution  of, 

75-77,  81-85,  265,  266 
Riding  at  a  fence,  160-163 
Riding  "  right  hand  free,"  100 
Riding    schools    v.    the    open, 

125-128 
Riding,  teaching,   151-189 
Riding    without     stirrups,    69, 

131 -139,    I44,    145,    149.    179- 

182 
Rockfeller,  214 
Rocking-horse,  64,  65 
Rocking-horse,   child's,  50 
Roller-pad,  136 
Romans,    33,    144 
Rope-gag,  235 
Round  thighs,  to  cure,  70 
Rowels,  120,  121 
Rushing,   145,   159 

Saddle,   buckjumping,    152 
Saddle,  buckskin,  16,  152 


Index 


299 


Saddle,  getting  down  into  the, 

69-71 
Saddle,  high-peaked,  31 
Saddle,  military,  39 
Saddle,  with  stirrups  v.  num- 
nah,  131-139 
Safety-irons,   ladies',   149 
Sample,  214,  230,  235 
San  Sebastian,  276,  2.']'] 
Saumur,  see  Schools 
Saumur,    Ecuyers    at,    15,    155, 

163 
Sauteurs,  154,  I55,  231 
Schools,       Cavalry :       Austria 

(Vienna),  8,  23,  38 
Schools,     Cavalry :       Belgium 

(Ypres),  8,  23 
Schools,     Cavalry :       England 

(Netheravon),  24,  109,  222 
Schools,       Cavalry :       France 

(Saumur),    6,    8,    15-18,    23, 

24,  38,  146,  163,  226 
Schools,    Cavalry :       Germany 

(Hanover),  6,  8,  15,  23 
Schools,  Cavalry:  Italy  (Pine- 

rolo),  6,  8,  23,  38 
Schools,    riding,    v.    the    open, 

125-128 
Science    in    riding    and    horse 

training,  13-24 
Seat,  Eastern,  28,  29 
Seat,  Haute  Ecole,  28 
Seat,  for  jumping,  33,  34,  44, 

49-56,   160 
Seat,  for  hunting,  7,  28,  29,  36, 

38,  39,  43.  44,  134 
Seat,  ladies'  cross-legged,  7 
Seat,  military,  7,  28,  36-39 
Seat,  racing,  28,  29,  39-43,  69 


Seat,     straight-legged,      28-39, 

133,  134 
Seat,  war,  30,  32 
Seats,  27-44 

Segundo,  Don  Juan,  239 
Shoulder-in,  189 
Shoulders,  opening  the,  95,  96, 

163 

Shouting,   168 

Show-jumping,  13,  14,  18,  54, 
55,  92,  147,  275-281 

Shows,  horse,  5,  7,  13-15,  19, 
92,    146,    147,   275-277,   280 

Shying,  247-248 

Sidney,  30,  32 

Side-reins,   226 

Single-rein,  225-228,  247 

Single  pillar,  232 

Skeene,  237 

Slipping  reins,   163,   166 

Sloan,  Tod,  40 

Slug,  118,   120,   167 

South  African  (Boer)  War, 
24,  37,  38,  173 

Spanish  trot,  17 

Spurs,    119-121,   289 

Spurs,  hand,  235 

Stirrups,  saddle  with  v.  num- 
nah,  131-139 

Stirrups,  short,  38,  69,  70 

Stirrups,  fitting  of,  171 

Stirrups,  invention  of,  29 

Stirrups,  losing,  155 

Stirrups,    riding    without,    69, 

131,   139,  144,   145,   148,   179- 

182 
Stirrups,     tied     together,     see 

Strap 
Stop,   the,    185,    187,    188,   266 


300 


Index 


Strait- jackets,  229,  230 
Strain,  riders',  to  cure,  65,  66 
Strap,  the,   152-157 
Strap,  Galvayne,  230 
Strap,  Rarey,  2^2,  2ZZ 
Stumbling,  17,  93,  94,  no 
Swire,  Mr.,  17 
Switchback,  51 


Teaching  riding,   151-189 

Teaching  riding  by  demon- 
stration,   168 

Thigh,  angle  of,  Z7 

Thigh  and  knee  grip,  27,  59- 
67,    108 

Thigh,  curing  rider's  strain  in, 
65.  66 

Thighs,  69-71,  108 

Thighs,  curing  round,  70 

Third  hand,  235 

Thompson,    Mr.    Charles,    no 

Thormanby,    109,    147,    214 

Throwing  horses,  233,  234 

Timber,   2']Zy   274 

Time  required  for  training, 
253,  254 

Tod  Sloan,  40 

"  Tommy,"  209,   210 

Tournament,  military,  44 

Tozer,  31,   144 

Training  horses,  appliances 
for,  219-241 

Training  horses  by  the  voice, 
209-214 

Training,    further,    253-267 

"  Trixie,"   210-214 

Trot,  Spanish,  17 


Trotter,     American,     82,     198, 

199 
Trotting,  179-182,  261,  262 
Trotting,   indications   for,   185 
Turks,  38 
Turning,   indications    for,    184, 

185 
Turning  on  hocks,  263,  264 
Tweedie,  General,  214 
Twitch,   235 
Two  hand-whips,  238 
Tyndale,  36,  217 

U.  S.  America,  5,  6,  7,  28,  35, 

40-43,  95,  loi,   155 
Use  and  misuse  of  the  hands, 

89-104 
Use  of  the  lower  part  of  the 

leg,  107-110,  189 

Vegetius,  61 

Vienna        (Austrian      Cavalry 

School  at),  8,  23,  38 
Vision  of  the  horse,  200,  201 
Voice  and  whip,   03-115 
Voice    as    an    indication,    113, 

114 
Voice  training,  209-214 

Walk,  indications  for,   184 

Walsh,  148 

War  seat,  30,  z^, 

War,    South   African    (Boer), 

24,  Z7,  38,   173 
Water,   273,   274 
Weighing  horses,   195,    106 
Weight,     distribution    of    the 

rider's,  75-77,  81-85,  265,  266 


Index 


301 


What  to  teach  young  horses, 

193-202 
Whip,  126,  167,  256,  258 
Whip  and  voice,   113-115 
Whip,    longeing,   235 
Whips,  hand,  two,  238 
Whyte    Melville,    94,    98,    120, 

148,   208,   271 
Wire,  274,  275 
Wischzaum,  236 
Working     by     demonstration, 

168 


Working  on  foot,  256-259,  2^2, 
273,  289 


Xenophon,  30,  31,  33,  39,  119, 

227 


Ypres         (Belgian        Cavalry 
School  at),  8,  23 


Zittel,  von,  35. 


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